When do you think is an appropriate age for kids to play certain games or play with certain toys, if at all?

The reason I’m asking this is because one of the children I take care of is 5 years old. His parents let him play Call of Duty, which pretty much is a game where you shoot people or zombies. The graphics on it are disturbing (very bloody, body parts flying all over the place, a zombie hanging from noose here and there, etc), especially for a 5 year old, and the game actually freaks him out sometimes when the zombies are killing him. They, however, keep letting him play it.

Anyways. Today while the kids were playing with toys the 5 year old was playing with toy guns they have, and he was playing like he’d play in the game. Only he was aiming the toy guns at himself and his little brother. Is it strange that I felt uncomfortable with this and him playing the game? Do you think he’s too young to play it? What age do you think is appropriate for such toys and games, if at all?

Answer #1

I think you are grounded in being uncomfortable. My ex let our son play and watch more gruesome content. I never thought it was appropriate. Personally I feel at such a young age kids need to use that imagination more than anything. But It is,in the end, up to his or her parents what they allow. But most do settle for the electronic baby sitter even if the content may be inappropriate.

We are grooming the electronic generation. Orson Scott Card wrote a book called, “Enders game”. Maybe we aren’t so far from that being a reality.

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