https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 15 Apr 2026 07:11:40 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-your-school-age-kid-play-video-games#post-2924188 Fri, 25 Jun 2021 21:41:10 +0000 ChitownRo 2924188@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our kids don't play video games at home and I know like nothing about Roblox or Minecraft. When kids in my DS7's first grade class were like "let's play roblox after zoom today!" he was like "um, i play Settlers of Catan. Do you play that?" </p> <p>He does struggle a little socially (he really is into rule following and fairness)... so maybe I should start introducing video games? Sigh, parenting is exhausting with the constant decisions </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-your-school-age-kid-play-video-games#post-2924176 Thu, 24 Jun 2021 15:06:45 +0000 Mommy Finger 2924176@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My boys (8.5 and 6) have the Switch and play a few games on there (definitely Minecraft) and are also obsessed with Roblox. And are even more obsessed with watching YouTube videos were people play Minecraft and Roblox. It's annoying. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-your-school-age-kid-play-video-games#post-2924175 Thu, 24 Jun 2021 13:56:37 +0000 Miss Ariel 2924175@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Dd is 6.5. She doesn’t really play games nor does she have a tablet she gets to use. Occasionally she’ll use our laptops to play games on pbskids.</p> <p>She has asked for a phone to play games on before. And similar to your story came from from camp saying others were playing games like plants vs. zombies and she wanted to play too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-your-school-age-kid-play-video-games#post-2924171 Thu, 24 Jun 2021 11:45:38 +0000 julie31 2924171@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Carrot: This is very much my kid: no interest in video games, and he's not into team sports. I'm also not from the USA originally so I'm not going to be the one explaining baseball of football to him... At least he's social so hopefully he'll learn to navigate these situations better as he gets older! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-your-school-age-kid-play-video-games#post-2924170 Thu, 24 Jun 2021 11:43:43 +0000 julie31 2924170@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks for the feedback everyone. It seems that that the was able to make a couple of friends at camp so he was ok yesterday. But I know the issue is not going to go away. If he ever expresses interest, we'll definitely let him try some games but we won't push it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-your-school-age-kid-play-video-games#post-2924164 Thu, 24 Jun 2021 00:36:35 +0000 Mama Bird 2924164@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My oldest is 8. He plays in afterschool and on a friend's device (rarely) but so far I've kept it out of the house. Maybe we're really bad at time management, but there's no time for games most days, anyhow.</p> <p>I don't think he feels that left out. There's a lot of other hobbies his friends share - sports, mostly. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-your-school-age-kid-play-video-games#post-2924156 Wed, 23 Jun 2021 10:21:54 +0000 hitchhiker 2924156@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My 8 year old daughter has no interest in these games, but is incredibly social, particularly with similarly aged boys. She is very successful at talking non-stop about these things without actually knowing a darn thing about them. I think she just repeats back a lot of the stuff she hears, and I suspect many of the kids are talking a much bigger game about how much time they spend playing the games than they actually do. You might suggest a "fakin' it til' ya make it" approach to him. It is remarkably successful for my DD! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-your-school-age-kid-play-video-games#post-2924155 Wed, 23 Jun 2021 09:41:11 +0000 erinbaderin 2924155@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My kids are 5 and 7, and we have a Switch. My 5 year old isn't really into it, the 7 year old goes through phases where he wants it all the time and then he loses interest. We only have the more family-friendly games - MarioKart, Mario Party, Olympics, etc. He does sometimes talk about things like Minecraft but has never really expressed interest in playing. </p> <p>He had a playdate pre-COVID where he came home talking about having played Minecraft and some zombie shooting game, and I was super unimpressed (he was barely 6!!!) - "luckily" it didn't become an issue because COVID hit and then he changed schools and lost touch with that friend.</p> <p>Can you talk to the camp, though, about making sure kids aren't being excluded? That feels like a problem to me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-your-school-age-kid-play-video-games#post-2924154 Wed, 23 Jun 2021 09:14:16 +0000 josina 2924154@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>There are some you tube videos that is just basically watching someone play the games... (Caylus plays Roblox / Caylus plays Minecraft) maybe just watching a couple will give him enough knowledge to join in on the games? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-your-school-age-kid-play-video-games#post-2924152 Wed, 23 Jun 2021 09:05:59 +0000 Mrs. Carrot 2924152@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My daughter is 8 and we're in a similar situation, with "things that other kids do" in general. She has zero interest in games (though all her classmates talk about Roblox and Minecraft nonstop), she doesn't play team sports (nearly every kid here seems to be in at least one), she doesn't watch YouTube or any mainstream TV/movies (PBS Kids continues to reign supreme for her). I worry a lot that she's going to end up getting excluded because she's not into the same things that others are, but I also try to use it as an opportunity to reinforce to her how important it is to do the things she loves rather than conforming to other people's interests. If she were to express interest in something, I wouldn't have any issue giving her some exposure to it, but I wouldn't push her to do something if she's not interested. </p> <p>My kiddo has had a few times where she had the same experience as your son with being excluded, and I try to tell her that sometimes kids will want to play in ways that aren't going to be interesting to her. Her options are to either join them anyway and roll with it or to find another way to play. If the boys are actively excluding him altogether, might he be able to ask them if there's a way he can play even though he doesn't know the characters? Could someone explain a role to him or create a new one for him to have? That's worked for my daughter in the past and kids typically (unless they're being jerks) find ways to be imaginative enough to play. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-your-school-age-kid-play-video-games#post-2924151 Wed, 23 Jun 2021 08:59:53 +0000 ShootingStar 2924151@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son is 7.5 (rising 2nd grader) and he has a nintendo switch. He has some mario games and a dance game. I figure pretty soon he'll be asking about Minecraft and Roblox. But he's also a kid that kind of does his own thing and might not notice if everyone's really into something that he's not. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-your-school-age-kid-play-video-games#post-2924150 Wed, 23 Jun 2021 08:34:34 +0000 josina 2924150@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>All we have at home is an old Wii that barely gets hooked up (bowling/boxing/softball), and a vintage Nintendo console for Mario or Donkey Kong games. DS (6-1/2) was interested until the newness wore off.</p> <p>He DOES talk about minecraft all the time though. He goes to a friends house on Wednesday's and I think watches him play. And he gets Pokemon trading cards from his friends at school too. </p> <p>I'm not sure if or when we'll commit to a more expensive game system. I'm leaning towards not getting one but we'll see. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-your-school-age-kid-play-video-games#post-2924148 Wed, 23 Jun 2021 07:12:58 +0000 hellobeeboston 2924148@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We got an Xbox for my 8 year old son last year, at 7.... He also had a lot of friends playing video games and wanted to join in. We knew it was inevitable. We also have a younger son who now likes to play too.... I'm ok with it in moderation. During the school year we only allow it on weekends. Their only game that is 'online' is Roblox so they can play with friends, which started during the pandemic.... </p> <p>Now it's turning into, Oh, do you play ___x___ game? And some of them I'm not OK with. So that will always be an issue... but they just cannot play some games until they're older.</p> <p>My little guy mostly just loves silly little games on the iPad - PvZ and a newer version of Galaga... </p> <p>Again, all in moderation and with set limits I think is OK... In some ways some of these games seem better than just sitting there staring at a dumb tv show. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-your-school-age-kid-play-video-games#post-2924147 Wed, 23 Jun 2021 06:47:36 +0000 Mrs. Champagne 2924147@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son turned 7 in March. He loves minecraft and some other random games. It’s an option during screen time. It’s not a battle or anything and it gets taken away if he’s having behaviour issues. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-your-school-age-kid-play-video-games#post-2924146 Tue, 22 Jun 2021 20:45:10 +0000 bhbee 2924146@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@catgirl: I do think there’s a difference in boys vs girls on average - just what they are exposed to I think, since plenty of girls like to play! </p> <p>My older girl is 9.5 and entering 4th and has basically never played any game system but a wii we once had at an Airbnb for a couple days (she loved the bowling and such). She has no strong interest in the popular games as her friends don’t play either but she might play if we had something. I think another key is she and her close friends are all oldest children who don’t have an older sibling to expose them. But I think boys that age definitely know more. I guess she does like some iPad games like Prodigy and Cooking Fever and she can make those choices during screen time. </p> <p>My son is 6.5 and entering 1st and I expect it will come sooner for him. I have zero clue how we’ll handle it but I suspect we may get some age appropriate games (just the systems are so $$$!) and make it a screen time choice. He’s been super protected by covid (we were virtual and home schooling) and I want to hang onto that but know it is impossible. Not that I think all games are bad by any means …I played plenty of Nintendo growing up! But I want them to be appropriate and I don’t want battles over it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-your-school-age-kid-play-video-games#post-2924145 Tue, 22 Jun 2021 19:28:42 +0000 catgirl 2924145@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My DD is 6.5, we have a Nintendo Switch and a ps5 in our house. DD has no idea the switch can be a handheld device - we treat it like a console. For the switch we have Mario racing, Mario party, and a random game that has assorted carnival games. We typically play as a family or at least one of us with DD. And then there is one random game, Astro's playroom, that she plays on the ps5. It's a one player game but one of us is with her when she plays it. </p> <p>She goes through phases of wanting to play instead of watching something or using her kindle. And then won't play them for weeks. I don't think she is old enough for more advanced video games and wouldn't be okay with her playing them yet. I know some kids, mostly boys, that she spends time with play some of the older games. She says they talk about them but it hasn't impacted anything. Not sure if this is a girl vs. boy thing (horrible stereotype, I know...)</p> <p>All that said, DH is a huge gamer so I expect DD to be curious as she gets older. But even DH agrees that we need to be deliberate about what games she plays at what ages. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-your-school-age-kid-play-video-games#post-2924144 Tue, 22 Jun 2021 19:10:55 +0000 JennyPenny 2924144@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son is almost 7 and I feel like we’re in a similar spot. His classmates talk about games like Minecraft and amongus all the time. My son has expressed curiosity but nothing more. However, when my brother visits he always brings his Switch and DS loves it and wants to play constantly. To me, it’s a reminder of the battles we’d have if we owned a game system. He asks about it constantly and it’s so hard to get him to stop. Perhaps it’s only bad because it’s a limited opportunity but it is not something I’m ready to deal with more frequently. Plus I also feel like if we get any games my 4yo DS will start much younger and I’m super not ready for that! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-your-school-age-kid-play-video-games#post-2924143 Tue, 22 Jun 2021 19:02:18 +0000 julie31 2924143@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Hi everyone!</p> <p>My son just turned 7. He's never been interested in video games and he has no interest in trying. He has not really been around peers that are into video games so far (covid helped).<br /> Well yesterday he started a week long camp. He's probably the youngest in his cohort, with kids between 7-8.5 yo. Today he told me he got excluded at the playground because all the boys were playing a game based on a video game they all play. He was quite upset.<br /> I don't really want to push him to have more screen time, but I don't want him to feel excluded either. He's never had an issue making friends, he's quite social. I'd be fine with teaching him a few games. Then again, he says he has zero interest in even trying it out, even after today.<br /> I'm not sure how prevalent games are at this age. Are your kids playing games? Have you ever encountered a similar situation? </p>