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In yet another case of trying to blame a gaming device for poor parenting: "Ninten-Don't... How I watched my children turn into monsters".
In a column for UK newspaper The Daily Mail, mother of four Rosie Millard discusses how buying a single DS with 20 games between the group lead them to become argumentative "monsters".
She describes how Brain Training became predictable for the children, and so they moved onto their own fixes of the 20-game catalogue. The "toy" caused "endless rows, sessions of screaming and increasingly regular parental punishment."
She has since donated the DS and games to charity.
- Full Daily Mail report
- Thanks to GoNintendo
Can a "toy" really cause so much frustration and mess up young people's lives? Normal sibling rivalry? Or is it down to poor choices and bad parenting looking for something else to blame?
Be sure to have your say in the comments forum below.
In a column for UK newspaper The Daily Mail, mother of four Rosie Millard discusses how buying a single DS with 20 games between the group lead them to become argumentative "monsters".
I finally buckled to buy a Nintendo DS Lite after considerable and sustained pressure from my children.
What finally did it was a suggestion from my oldest child that without a Nintendo in her school bag, she would be unable to fit in at school. (Yes, I know - oldest trick in the book. And I fell for it.)
It was that, plus reading a piece in one newspaper which suggested that if you regularly played Brain Trainer on your Nintendo, you'd bump up your mental acuity.
And another piece from child expert Dr Tanya Byron, of all people, which, as far as I recall, actually suggested that regular use of interactive toys such as the DS helped your children to be caring and creative.
I also had a sneaking and totally selfish wish to be Mother of the Year. Which I was, for about a day.
When the pale blue, £150 Nintendo finally arrived last November, fresh from Hong Kong (I had bought it on the net), crammed with a 'bundle' of 20 games including Brain Trainer, Fifa 08, and Nintendogs, my children hugged me tightly.
"Thank you, thank you, Mummy," they chorused. "We LOVE you!"
Mission accomplished, I smiled indulgently at them.
What finally did it was a suggestion from my oldest child that without a Nintendo in her school bag, she would be unable to fit in at school. (Yes, I know - oldest trick in the book. And I fell for it.)
It was that, plus reading a piece in one newspaper which suggested that if you regularly played Brain Trainer on your Nintendo, you'd bump up your mental acuity.
And another piece from child expert Dr Tanya Byron, of all people, which, as far as I recall, actually suggested that regular use of interactive toys such as the DS helped your children to be caring and creative.
I also had a sneaking and totally selfish wish to be Mother of the Year. Which I was, for about a day.
When the pale blue, £150 Nintendo finally arrived last November, fresh from Hong Kong (I had bought it on the net), crammed with a 'bundle' of 20 games including Brain Trainer, Fifa 08, and Nintendogs, my children hugged me tightly.
"Thank you, thank you, Mummy," they chorused. "We LOVE you!"
Mission accomplished, I smiled indulgently at them.
She describes how Brain Training became predictable for the children, and so they moved onto their own fixes of the 20-game catalogue. The "toy" caused "endless rows, sessions of screaming and increasingly regular parental punishment."
Our Nintendo had taken the guise of a small but toxic drug which, little by little, was poisoning my children.
When they had had their fix, they were even more frustrated and discontented than before.
...
I have first-hand evidence that using a Nintendo turns my delightful, curious and funny children into argumentative demons full of aggression, wholly uninterested in anything apart from playing, and then playing some more.
When they had had their fix, they were even more frustrated and discontented than before.
...
I have first-hand evidence that using a Nintendo turns my delightful, curious and funny children into argumentative demons full of aggression, wholly uninterested in anything apart from playing, and then playing some more.
She has since donated the DS and games to charity.
Can a "toy" really cause so much frustration and mess up young people's lives? Normal sibling rivalry? Or is it down to poor choices and bad parenting looking for something else to blame?
Be sure to have your say in the comments forum below.
CommentsPost a Comment
Echoes221 Reply Quote #1
L48 Kremlin Guard
875 
87 
06.04.2005 
echoesnope, its due to sibling rivalry, you know how it is, if one person plays it, they all want to play it at the same time.
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SuperLink Reply Quote #2
C3 Mod
14330 758 19.01.2005 Link / SuperLink9Oh. For fucks sake.
This kind of thing really rubs me the wrong way. Such ignorance...
1) Her children obviously aren't very old. Therefore Brain Training is a bad idea, it's aimed at adults after all...
2) Children fight over ANYTHING. Consoles? The type is regardless. Any kid a certain age will fight over something unless they have one each... and even then they'll find a way to fight.
3) I bet this woman has never even heard of the SEGA MegaDrive. The console that me and my brother waged an epic war over in ancient times. The console that got us banned from videogaming for 2-3 years. Why does she think it's exclusive to the DS? She's simply pushing the blame where it can get her the most money...
4) Why are they taking a story from a single mother from the whole of Britain? She acts as if she's made some amazing discovery and everyone else on the planet is in the dark...
Hey waitaminute.... OSHI--.
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This kind of thing really rubs me the wrong way. Such ignorance...
1) Her children obviously aren't very old. Therefore Brain Training is a bad idea, it's aimed at adults after all...
2) Children fight over ANYTHING. Consoles? The type is regardless. Any kid a certain age will fight over something unless they have one each... and even then they'll find a way to fight.
3) I bet this woman has never even heard of the SEGA MegaDrive. The console that me and my brother waged an epic war over in ancient times. The console that got us banned from videogaming for 2-3 years. Why does she think it's exclusive to the DS? She's simply pushing the blame where it can get her the most money...
4) Why are they taking a story from a single mother from the whole of Britain? She acts as if she's made some amazing discovery and everyone else on the planet is in the dark...
Hey waitaminute.... OSHI--.
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The cheese. Reply Quote #3
L100 Eternal Master
5165 276 02.07.2004 noneIt's clearly sibling rivalry that she can't cope with/control.
And she bought it from Hong Kong with a 20 games bundle? Sounds legit.
And she bought it from Hong Kong with a 20 games bundle? Sounds legit.
This is my very small signature. I hope it's not too big.
D_prOdigy Reply Quote #4
L17 ReDead
167 14 23.03.2008 D_prOdigyThank God for messiahs like Jack Thompson, who are fighting their hardest to ban this sick filth.
SuperLink Reply Quote #5
C3 Mod
14330 758 19.01.2005 Link / SuperLink9D_prOdigy said:
Thank God for messiahs like Jack Thompson, who are fighting their hardest to ban this sick filth.
Thank God for messiahs like Jack Thompson, who are fighting their hardest to ban this sick filth.
Amen to that (I can't believe I live on this planet...
)BTW, thanks to video games my brother and I are best friends. I guess that woman was too selfish, ignorant and impatient to see it through. gg :3
Although from the soundsof things they would have been brought up as casual gamers anyway...
Born and bred on Sonic games I was.
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Jump_button Reply Quote #6
L76 Ridley
2610 180 04.05.2004 jumpButton20 games as a gift some one rich wish she was my mum lol
ps 20 game take a long time to do XD i know i be busy playing them too( Edited 05.05.2008 12:09 by Jump_button )
ps 20 game take a long time to do XD i know i be busy playing them too( Edited 05.05.2008 12:09 by Jump_button )
Ikana Reply Quote #7
L58 Hylian Knight
1305 149 07.06.2006 IkanaHm, I was gaming since I was 5 years old...but my little brother has never been into gaming. Though I do have some good memories of playing co-op on Alien Storm on Mega Drive with him when I was about 8/9 and he was 6/7. I don't remember us ever arguing over games...lots of other stuff, yeah, but not games.
Well, these kids sound a) Rather spoilt and b) Completely normal. As others have posted before me, it's just sibling rivalry; kids will fight over ANYTHING. Our old Christmas home movies prove it.
Well, these kids sound a) Rather spoilt and b) Completely normal. As others have posted before me, it's just sibling rivalry; kids will fight over ANYTHING. Our old Christmas home movies prove it.
SuperLink Reply Quote #8
C3 Mod
14330 758 19.01.2005 Link / SuperLink9Jump_button said:
wish she was my mum lol
wish she was my mum lol
No you don't
Instead of getting 20 games she could have gotten another DS.
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Darkflame Reply Quote #9
L51 Regular Knuckles
972 66 07.12.2004 none"And she bought it from Hong Kong with a 20 games bundle? Sounds legit."
Yeah, exactly.
She is hardly setting a good example by showing their children that hard work is worth nothing, because piracy is ok!
Yeah, exactly.
She is hardly setting a good example by showing their children that hard work is worth nothing, because piracy is ok!
SuperLink Reply Quote #10
C3 Mod
14330 758 19.01.2005 Link / SuperLink9Neither her, her children, or the Daily Mail probably have any idea the DS was a pirated machine.
What can you do about that?
EDIT: Ooooh I hope Nintendo reply to this <3( Edited 05.05.2008 12:37 by SuperLink )
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What can you do about that?
EDIT: Ooooh I hope Nintendo reply to this <3( Edited 05.05.2008 12:37 by SuperLink )
~League of Kings - King - "The One"~ | May the League of Kings always reign supreme!
C3 SHENMUE III DECADE | 18.06.2009
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Kafei2006 Reply Quote #11
L7 Mushroom Guard
67 22 10.01.2007 noneIkana said:
Well, these kids sound a) Rather spoilt
Well, these kids sound a) Rather spoilt
I can only agree with that. If you teach your children not to fight when another has something they don't or if you simply teach them the value of things (by not buying them anything they want) then i think they won't fight over anything.
I can tell cuz' i've been raised that way, and saw my cousins and mates back in the day fighting over a Game Boy while I was keeping my cool. I ended being the one allowed to play with the Game Boy cause i remained calm while the others were arguing
. Thanks to my parents for that :lol !Ikana said:
b) Completely normal. As others have posted before me, it's just sibling rivalry; kids will fight over ANYTHING. Our old Christmas home movies prove it.
b) Completely normal. As others have posted before me, it's just sibling rivalry; kids will fight over ANYTHING. Our old Christmas home movies prove it.
Yup ! It's not only over video games, it could be over the last Action man, (or Barbie if it's girls), or whatever... she's just blaming video games because it's something i bet she doesn't even know about too much.
I used to be Umaro in my previous life. Really !!!
Azzy Reply Quote #12
L23 Fire Leo
249 39 11.08.2005 noneClearly the Daily Mail is the biggest pile of wank of a newspaper running at the moment.
When I saw this article on the front page of C3 today, I thought exactly the same thing as SuperLink:
"Oh. For fucks sake."
When I saw this article on the front page of C3 today, I thought exactly the same thing as SuperLink:
"Oh. For fucks sake."
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mOojc Reply Quote #13
L94 Overworld God
4481 206 06.06.2004 mOojcI agree with the mother, DS is baddddddd. You would want your childern to be playing GTA IV anyway.
jb Reply Quote #14
Founder/Admin
14153 886 04.01.2003 jbcubed3.Perhaps she should have set more firmer rules, or get them something else (e.g. a home console or at least a second DS) so they can all play nicely. Stricter rules and better judgment would be a better approach.
E.g. only able to play after rehearsing their instrument, doing their homework etc.
Blame the parents I say.
jb(at)cubed3.com
E.g. only able to play after rehearsing their instrument, doing their homework etc.
Blame the parents I say.
jb(at)cubed3.com
Martin_ Reply Quote #15
L100 Eternal Master
6457 723 05.09.2004 noneI agree with the parent.
chrisjwilkinson Reply Quote #16
L3 Gooba Guard
25 21 25.03.2006 noneTo echo what (several) others have said, I have two young children (aged 3 1/2 and 2) and they fight over who gets to push a toy wheelbarrow around the garden or who plays with which dinosaur!
Of course, I almost didn't bother reading further when I saw the words "The Daily Mail"...
Of course, I almost didn't bother reading further when I saw the words "The Daily Mail"...
samus_boy Reply Quote #17
L7 Mushroom Guard
63 42 16.03.2008 Evan, Jr.When I was much younger, I attacked my brother for turning off LoZ: LttP because he was mad that I'd been playing so long. Fast forward to yesterday when he was at my house for an hour + playing Mario Kart Wii.
Video games are obviously the work of the devil.
Video games are obviously the work of the devil.
Steoandnoodles Reply Quote #18
L2 Toad
12 20 18.04.2007 nonedepriving your children of entertainment and allowing them to have short bursts sorta would make them annoyed.
I blame the Mother.
I blame the Mother.
SuperLink Reply Quote #19
C3 Mod
14330 758 19.01.2005 Link / SuperLink9TBH coursework/revision has made me far more severely depressed and angry than games ever have. I think that should be more of a concern to parants TBH.( Edited 05.05.2008 14:54 by SuperLink )
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mushroomer Reply Quote #20
L1 New Born
5 20 24.10.2006 MushroomerThis lady has no idea what she is talking about. The DS isn't addicting at all. Man this makes me so mad that I need to go play some Advance Wars. BRB.
Actually, I am , i think addicted to DS. Although I only play on my commute to work, I just feel like I need to play 2 times a day for 40 minutes or else something is missing. Currently I am playing: Band BrothersDS(guitar hero-like game imported), RBI BASEBALL DS(Imported called famista DS), and have recently been done with Advance Wars DoR, Tetris, Jump Ultimate Stars, Zelda, Metroid, and the number 1 addcitive game thus far for me, Mario VS DK 2 because of the level editor and wifi sharing abilities.. ahah anyone else list off their most addictive games?( Edited 05.05.2008 17:57 by mushroomer )
Actually, I am , i think addicted to DS. Although I only play on my commute to work, I just feel like I need to play 2 times a day for 40 minutes or else something is missing. Currently I am playing: Band BrothersDS(guitar hero-like game imported), RBI BASEBALL DS(Imported called famista DS), and have recently been done with Advance Wars DoR, Tetris, Jump Ultimate Stars, Zelda, Metroid, and the number 1 addcitive game thus far for me, Mario VS DK 2 because of the level editor and wifi sharing abilities.. ahah anyone else list off their most addictive games?( Edited 05.05.2008 17:57 by mushroomer )
