breaking an addiction
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It is to a certain extent a male thing, look at all the DSs mentioned on the thread and I am not talking the machines. However DS2's current craze is msm, messenger and I think girls are hooked on that as well.
Do you think, that it is the reaction when told to stop that is the problem? The two DSs that concern me are more aggressive when told to quit and I feel their behaviour in general is more aggressive when they have been using them a lot. I am not talking games like COD here, mine are only allowed Mario types or lego Indiana Jones sort of thing and well within their age limits. Interestingly it is the games with levels in that cause the biggest problems, they just don't want to switch off.
Interestingly, Moose, my DS that is into army stuff is more inclined to go outside and role play it than resort to games. Yours sounds to have lots else going on so I wouldn't worry if I were you.
Do you think, that it is the reaction when told to stop that is the problem? The two DSs that concern me are more aggressive when told to quit and I feel their behaviour in general is more aggressive when they have been using them a lot. I am not talking games like COD here, mine are only allowed Mario types or lego Indiana Jones sort of thing and well within their age limits. Interestingly it is the games with levels in that cause the biggest problems, they just don't want to switch off.
Interestingly, Moose, my DS that is into army stuff is more inclined to go outside and role play it than resort to games. Yours sounds to have lots else going on so I wouldn't worry if I were you.
Exactly the same in our house Tolstoy. Mine are not allowed war-type games either, and thankfully have expressed no interest in these, but even the Mario and Lego games are quite violent, and hugely competitive. At least they involve more problem-solving and no realistic killing, but still have a very negative effect on the mood of both DC. Playing for more than an hour or so leaves them hyper, aggressive and bored by gentler activities. Same with me actually; my heart rate goes right up if I play, especially as I am rubbish compared with the boys and can't do things they consider to be easy, which makes me feel cross!
I too find hour-plus playing leaves DS verging on aggressive when asked to stop and it doesn't matter what the game, but platform games such as Mario seem the worst in this situation - maybe this is because they have to reach certain levels to save progress made so far, so ask them to stop before they've done this can induce apoplectic retorts 
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familyinthevalley
- Posts: 245
- Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2009 7:43 pm
So glad my house is not the only one where this happens! With five boys - it can be a nightmare sometimes!
The older ones are 18 and over - so of course, have games that are not appropriate for the younger guys. They bought their 360 themselves, it is in their room, and I like it that way as the little guys don't have easy access to it and it's not theirs just to go and play.
We do have the Wii though in the living room - and I don't mind it, because the younger guys don't mind mum and dad playing it with them. Alot of what we will play though is sports games, so no levels to get to before turning off etc. I find less hassles with the Wii than the computers!
On the computers the little guys get a 10 minute warning of them having to get off. This tends to work well, as long as all three of them have a computer each If mine isn't available cos I'm on it (likely playing my addictive farmville on facebook!), then I have a problem as obviousy one feels he has missed out. They play frequently on a game called Roblox where they are building and creating games for others to play.
My 7 yr old surprised me the other day when I have overheard him telling the 10 and 11 yr olds, 'oh no, I have a script for that, I can run the script and fix that for you'......and his typing? lol - well, he's fast and accurate! Roll on warmer weather though please
The older ones are 18 and over - so of course, have games that are not appropriate for the younger guys. They bought their 360 themselves, it is in their room, and I like it that way as the little guys don't have easy access to it and it's not theirs just to go and play.
We do have the Wii though in the living room - and I don't mind it, because the younger guys don't mind mum and dad playing it with them. Alot of what we will play though is sports games, so no levels to get to before turning off etc. I find less hassles with the Wii than the computers!
On the computers the little guys get a 10 minute warning of them having to get off. This tends to work well, as long as all three of them have a computer each If mine isn't available cos I'm on it (likely playing my addictive farmville on facebook!), then I have a problem as obviousy one feels he has missed out. They play frequently on a game called Roblox where they are building and creating games for others to play.
My 7 yr old surprised me the other day when I have overheard him telling the 10 and 11 yr olds, 'oh no, I have a script for that, I can run the script and fix that for you'......and his typing? lol - well, he's fast and accurate! Roll on warmer weather though please
May I come out now and confess to my own addiction? It's.... curling! Can't get enough of it and am up until the wee smalls every night and then yawning all the next day!!!! What will I do next week? Do I have to go cold turkey.... it's the only thing that takes my mind off of next Monday!
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad !
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tranquillity
- Posts: 52
- Joined: Sun Dec 06, 2009 3:03 am
- Location: birmingham
My eldest son was completely addicted to his pc games from age dot. By his teens he would sit up for hours every night, headphones on, shouting - yes, shouting! - at game players in different time zones all over the world!!!! And he kept his sister awake for hours too.
He drove me MAD with his game obsession when he was younger. I used to confiscate all the controls - I had to develop this practice after I threw an expensive console in the bin one day, and had to replace it the next day
Oh, all the endless worries I had, and far too many upsets over these games.
But I hate to tell you, somehow - how?? - he still kept up with his school work, he gained a full set of very good A-levels, got a good uni place (which is where he is now), plays piano and cello, and he has, finally, miraculously, given up the games. Why? For a fab girl, of course!!
I never did find the perfect solution to the awful games, but maybe this will offer some comfort - my ds has turned out ok despite the grip of the games
(Me, well, I've prematurely aged with all the stress. . . . . . and developed far too good a friendship with Mr Sauvignon Blanc
)
And he kept his sister awake for hours too.He drove me MAD with his game obsession when he was younger. I used to confiscate all the controls - I had to develop this practice after I threw an expensive console in the bin one day, and had to replace it the next day
Oh, all the endless worries I had, and far too many upsets over these games.
But I hate to tell you, somehow - how?? - he still kept up with his school work, he gained a full set of very good A-levels, got a good uni place (which is where he is now), plays piano and cello, and he has, finally, miraculously, given up the games. Why? For a fab girl, of course!!
I never did find the perfect solution to the awful games, but maybe this will offer some comfort - my ds has turned out ok despite the grip of the games
(Me, well, I've prematurely aged with all the stress. . . . . . and developed far too good a friendship with Mr Sauvignon Blanc
)So there is life during and after games! Have a relative whose son was/is also a compulsive games player, hardly ever read a book - he also got good results, went to vg uni and now works as a games developer (not just playing games but writing the programmes), earns lots of £ and is v happy Doesn't stop me being concerned tho...
Doesn't stop me being concerned tho...-
katiebryer
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- Joined: Thu Feb 25, 2010 1:08 pm
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familyinthevalley
- Posts: 245
- Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2009 7:43 pm
haha, we've been up watching that too! and the hockey! woohoo - we beat Russia last night - now hoping to beat Slovakia in the semi's and facing off again with USA on Sunday night would be fantastic - get revenge on the first game where they beat us with that cheat goal at the end!doodles wrote:May I come out now and confess to my own addiction? It's.... curling! Can't get enough of it and am up until the wee smalls every night and then yawning all the next day!!!! What will I do next week? Do I have to go cold turkey.... it's the only thing that takes my mind off of next Monday!
Having the Olympics in our home town, and us not being there.......I've been soooooooo homesick the last week and a bit - especially seeing silly things like the tents all over Whistler - my best friends' son worked for the supplier of them and had months of work up there installing them. The silly things you notice!
I know I will be able to sleep again though once the Olympics are over - well, after the closing ceremonies at 1 am on Monday morning anyway
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Midget Man
- Posts: 950
- Joined: Mon Nov 16, 2009 8:28 pm
- Location: Bucks
I keep turning the olympics on in the evening hoping to catch something good and all I seem to get is the curling Doodle's but I don't want it
My OH get's fixated with it, but all I do is moan about how "you can't call that a sport"
Back to the games addiction_ I guess I am lucky at the moment in that my DS does not seem to have a game addiction at present. He would not be allowed to play war games anyway and he has no need for them when he thoroughly enjoy's the Wii fit at the moment where we can al have a play. The odd moan if we've said time's up but nothing major-not yet anyway Also I think what help's him is we don't allow the ds to go everywhere we go either, on visit's into London he take's a book which sadly he seem's to be the only child doing so on the journey's we make 
Also when camping he'll have the ds till it run's out of battery and then it's books and chess, cricket etc and doesn't miss the thing at all!
My OH get's fixated with it, but all I do is moan about how "you can't call that a sport"
Back to the games addiction_ I guess I am lucky at the moment in that my DS does not seem to have a game addiction at present. He would not be allowed to play war games anyway and he has no need for them when he thoroughly enjoy's the Wii fit at the moment where we can al have a play. The odd moan if we've said time's up but nothing major-not yet anyway
Also I think what help's him is we don't allow the ds to go everywhere we go either, on visit's into London he take's a book which sadly he seem's to be the only child doing so on the journey's we make Also when camping he'll have the ds till it run's out of battery and then it's books and chess, cricket etc and doesn't miss the thing at all!