Nintendo DS or iTouch, or Is It All Too Much?

I'm only one opinion but take it for what its worth. I personally think that kids today have far too much screen time and they are using less and less of their imagination or playing outdoors. It's also one more thing to pull them away from when trying to get them to do homework or practice their hobby or sport. Also, since you have 3 other kids, they will copy what their older brother is doing and all insist on getting an electronic hand held device.

I recommend the Nintendo DS. Great for eye/hand coordination. I think he is too young for the ITouch.

L.,
Just remember that whatever you do this year sets the precident for years to follow. Our kids will be sorely dissappointed this year because we have usually done a lot for christmas. This year will not be so. We had to claim bankruptcy and came close to loosing our home. Things have changed drastically for a lot of people this year.
W. M.

we have four boys (14,12,9,2) and a girls coming in two weeks. All three of our older children have begged and pleaded for 'electronics' of some sort at an early age. We made the decision to set ages as to where the boys could finally get a one of these items... At 9, we allowed the handheld gaming device (ie, nintendo DS), at 12 they were/are allowed to get an I-touch and we have just allowed our 14 year old to get a cell phone (but only for use on weekends when he is away from us). Sometimes I STILL feel these ages are too young as our society is so fast paced and hungry for instant gratification. But, we have found some balance with these limits and it's so easy now to just say 'that's a gift for when you are XX years old, etc'.

We also try an encourage our kids to add some of their own money to the purchase of these larger, more expensive items as they then hold more value to them.

These days, children forget how to WAIT for something important to them. And we feel it's healthy and good to teach our kids to YEARN for the finer things in life. ( it's also been fun to watch them draw pictures of their desired items or cut out pictures from magazines, etc and pin them on their walls in their rooms, etc and 'admire' them for a while before their time comes to own one ;)

Good luck with your decision! It's a tough one.

Hi L., I personally think that an Itouch is way too much for a 7 year old. They are also more expensive than a Nintendo DS. My niece is 8 she has had her DS now for 2 years. We actually all have one and play together. There are so many games, some educational that can be played on the DS system, I think it is worth every penny. Good luck

Kids are so easily distracted and they are getting less and less physical play time. If the boy already has a wii and computer then question why he needs more. Peer pressure to have what eveone else has...I would think hard before giving in to more technology at his age. My kids had only computer games until they were older teens, (although technology has improved and advanced since they were young)and it was OK to not have everything all the other kids had. Just my 2 cents of advice.

Hi L.,

I don't know how much you would like to monitor your son's internet access, but if he has a wireless internet connection, he will pretty much have unlimited internet access on an iTouch. That is a major concern in my mind as a parent. With a Nintendo DS, you can at least allow which games he plays and make sure they are age appropriate. I agree with you however that a Wii, computer and TV are plenty!

L. R.

Kids are getting into the game toys at younger and younger ages it seems. Personally, I tend to be old fashioned and would try to limit such things. It sounds like you have plenty already. But, since your husband is for him getting it, you may have a problem. What we did with our kids with things we really didn't want them to get into too soon was to set an age at which we would consider those items. Some of the items lost interest by the time they reached the age. Others were items they got once they reached the age, and I think enjoyed and appreciated more for having waited.
Part of what we need to teach our kids as they grow up is delayed gratification, and this is a perfect chance for you and your husband to give your son that lesson if you choose to do so.
As far as the question regarding which one is best... I haven't a clue, because I'm not familiar with either item ... by choice.

Um. Well, I use my mom's old addage...Just because the other kids jump off the bridge doesn't mean you have to. :P
Personally I think our kids spend too much time glued to a screen. How about buying him a cribbage board? Or Monopoly, Life, Connect4? He can teach the younger ones. =)

Dear L.,
It's amazing to me all the gizmos and things they come out with. And, of course, kids usually want the newest and hottest thing. I was 15 when my sister and I got an Atari to share for Christmas. It had two games. Pong and Chip Away. It was pretty fun as the whole family, including Grandpa, would take turns playing. Our neighbors have Wii that they play when their grandkids come over. They make popcorn, invite my son and have tournaments. They also have card and board game "tournaments". The younger ones are learning to play cribbage, etc. Since your kids already have access to electronic things, perhaps you and your husband can decide on more family oriented activities.
It's just my opinion, but 7 seems too young to have an iTouch. DS, maybe. Any kid worth their salt will WANT those things, but do they really need them? At 7 years old? Trust me, there will be something newer and better out next year and that will be the next thing they want. I think raising expectations in children so young is setting you both up for disaster. What in heaven's name will it be that he wants when he's 10 or 13?
I know your husband feels it's inevitable in this day and age and maybe that's a man thing.
My friend and her husband argue all the time because he thinks their son should have every new gadget that comes along. Once that cat is out of the bag, it's hard getting it back in. If Mom tries to monitor, Dad says, he's having fun, he can have 20 more minutes. That kid has every game system, a portable DVD player and they about came to blows last month when Dad insisted he get an iPod for his birthday because "all" the kids have them. She felt like if he got an iPod for his birthday, what the heck were they going to have for him 2 months later for Christmas? She ordered one, Dad was furious that it didn't come in time for the kid's birthday and the kid ended up losing all privileges anyway because he was caught fibbing about doing his homework when the parents got called in for a conference. The school wanted to know why none of the homework was being done or signed by the parents and the kid had been telling the parents it had all been done at school. He knew the only way he could play his games, etc, was if his work was all done. So he wasn't even bringing it home. Dad got the shock of his life and now the kid may not even get the iPod for Christmas. He's 12. Some kids are fine being allowed to do a little of this and a little of that, but he isn't one of them and now they're trying to start over from scratch as if he'd never had any of that stuff to begin with.
If you have a child who loses interest in things quickly, why spend the money? You've got younger kids too so whatever you buy needs to be shared and enjoyed by everyone as a family. But keep in mind, you also have a 6, 4, and 2 year old. Does begging for something mean they will get it? I just think you should be careful starting out with certain things too soon.
How badly does your son want these things? Is he willing to give up some of his toys, clean them and wrap them and take them to a homeless shelter for children who likely won't receive any presents at all this year? Does he have a jacket or sweatshirt or pair of shoes that he doesn't use that might keep some other kid warm?
Wanting is a normal thing for a child to do. Wanting and needing are very different things.
It's in giving that we receive.
If a child isn't too young to use a computer, they aren't too young to understand that concept.
That's just my humble opinion and I hope you get some great advice.

Best wishes!

Hi L., I honestly see nothing wrong with getting him the DS. My kids have them and they LOVE theirs. I think I would just get him the DS if that's what he is asking for as his friends most likely have them as well. I don' think too many 7 year olds have an Ipod Touch. My kids play vidoe games and have for YEARS, they are both super intelligent and do very well in school. It also doens't keep them from doing other activities at all. They just have diferent times that they like to do different things, such as outdoor time, playing with Legos, drawing etc. Have a wonderful weekend.

my 5 and 7 year old have a DS. Yes at first it was all about the DS and much time spent on it. That fads away as with anything else they get excited about. The iTouch is a huge responsibility and expensive. Mine want one because my 15 year old got one for his birthday. I tell them when they are 13-14 years, they can have one, because I think they are too young for something like that now. With the DS, the younger ones have fun taking pictures and photo editing them is always funny. They have a lot of fun recording themselves and changing the pitch. My 15 yr. old still enjoyed playing with their DS a lot, until he got his iTouch. The younger ones don't really need the email and other apps on the iTouch. If yours wants to listen to music like my little ones do, we got them a shuffle and if they showed responsibility with that, we can upgrade later. good luck and Merry Christmas.

L.,
I'll be interested in other replies. You sound very rich. I recommend backing up. I would ask yourself if your son has experienced the old classics: building blocks, leggos, the logs(building),checkers, magnadoodles, train sets, etc., etc. Building the imagination is important. Did he excel in this in kinder? Can he easily imagine when he reads? It's hard for many children to picture as they read. Your child is really young for all that he has/wants. Are you and your husband too busy for the things I mentioned? Arrange for play dates with his friends. What are the top toys recommended by Bay Area Parent, etc. I would check out the lists of top toys. Usually, they're based on education/age appropriate fun. Just a thought...
Happy holidays,
G.

As a mother of 5, I don't mind the DS for a 7 year old. Even our 4 year old plays Dora games. We just monitor how much time is spent on it, and they must put it away or they lose it for a time if Mommy finds it out. Just like everything else, it requires adult supervision, before I know it sometimes, my 5 year old could have been on it an hour straight! Argh! I set a timer, that works to remind both of us it is time to put it away.

Good luck and Merry Christmas to your family.

Santa brought my daughter who had just turned 7 a DS last year. She is not a video game fanatic (rarely plays the wii, likes a few computer games) but with the DS she can be in the car or out to eat with us and have something to occupy her a bit. She has games that she picked out and they are challenging her dexterity as well as keeping her thinking. I was concerned about more "screen time" but she monitors herself very well. an iTouch does seem a bit much for a younger child (i may think differently when mine is 10 or 11) and may be too much for what you are looking for.
good luck.
S.

I will preface my answer with disclosure that I work in the video game business, so my family has always been exposed to a huge variety of video games.

My daughter got her first DS when she was 4 years old and I have never regretted it.

I would absolutely support getting your child a DS. I'd even say consider it for the 6 and 4 year old too...as they will also want one the second your son gets his! You should monitor what your children play and limit the time. Video games are great for helping with hand eye coordination, executive function (forces them to think quickly and make decisions..or see the consequence) and many games will help with reading, as your child is going to have to read the text on the screen in order to figure out what to do! You can also choose content that is specifically created for educational purposes to help with spelling, math, etc.

As for selecting an iTouch vs. a DS, for his age, I'd suggest the DS. You can control the content that they have access to much better on the DS, and the content in general is higher quality. (some iPhone games are great...but there are many that lack the same professional polish). The DS games all come with a rating from the ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) that helps you decide what's appropriate for your child. iPhone/iTouch games do not. Also, if your son is a bit rough on his electronics, the DS is more durable.

Hope this helps!

It's all too much, in my opinion. Screen time is not inevitable in your home! You have complete control over that in your home. It is soooo much easier to limit screen time when less "screen toys" are available. If you truly want less screen time, why make your life harder? While your son has exceeded the age where screen time is most damaging to the brain (3-6 year olds), your younger children will witness and want to do the same thing. According to numerous psychiatrists, young children who view more than 30-60 minutes per day, decrease their brain's ability to learn new skills. (Their brains are learn how to watch stuff instead of do stuff.) It also makes them kind of grumpy. Instead, get them art stuff, blocks, marbles, etc. Kids will usually choose TV or gaming, but they can really love the other stuff too and it makes them feel good about their accomplishments! Good luck!

Grannie bought DSs for our boys, and we wished she hadn't...too addicting. And they are harder to monitor because they are small and easy to hide. But I will say that they are good for long car trips and waiting in doctor offices!
It may be "inevitable" in a sense, but you could stall longer...maybe tell him he can save up his birthday money to be able to buy his own? At least he will learn about saving, setting goals, etc. With the games and all, it's pretty expensive, and it might take him a while.. he might even decide it isn't worth all the money if it is his own money.

I think my kids learned alot of pre-computer skills with the DS and MORE on the DS"i".
Since you choose the games and they have lots of learning ones. It is a good thing...

The ITouch is super expensive, and you can't get insurance on it because it has a glass screen, so if it breaks you may be out of luck. I would personally recommend the DS, it has a lot of age appropriate games, and they have games that are even fun for an adult!

I think that not getting kids electronics is an outdated frame of mind. The fact of the matter is that electronics are the wave of the future. Think about it like this, when people switched from hieroglyphics to writing how many parents were like "No, you can't learn that?" Well, pretty soon writing is going to be outdated and it is all going to be done on the computer.

A DS is something that he can play with his friends, take on long car trips, waiting around at DMV/doctors/anywhere really, its just a lot more practical. If you were to get him a cribbage board or something it would really limit who he is able to play with. I personally know no one who can play cribbage, in fact, I don't even know what a cribbage board looks like, but I do know what a DS looks like.

Good Luck!

If it feels like buying a teenager a Porsche (good analogy) then don't do it. People should learn to wait for things anyway. My 15 year old finally has an itouch, but lived without one most of his life. None of my kids will ever get an iphone unless they pay for it and the monthly subscription themselves -- which means after they've left home.

Don't know about the Nintendo DS. Most kids, it seems, have some kind of a game system by age 7.

I feel the same as you about screen time, but have learned that your husband is probably right about the inevitable.

Since he's been begging for the Nintendo, then why not give him that, regardless of the greater utility of the itouch. That's actually pretty irrelevant.