Video games that cause seizures

[TerryJ2]

Today, difficult child asked if I could take him to the movie store to rent a PS2 game. He's already got a ton but he's gone through them all.
He's been pretty good lately and we reward him with-a game, treat, movie, etc wkly if he's maintained behavior, so I took him.
Every game he chose was violent and fast paced. That last one even had a big warning on it about causing seizure activity!
I said NO. No. No.
Every single PS2 game. NO. "You're already on Adderall for hyperactivity. You don't need to make it worse."
He made little fists and said, "You don't know how much I want to hit you right now."
"Yes, I do." I walked away and stood by the front counter.
3 min. later, he came up with-a poker video.
I didn't even know they had such things.

At the front counter, he asked for more of an explanation about the seizures. I told him I didn't want to talk about it in public. He didn't care. Oooh-kay. increased electrical activity in the frontal lobes. Blah blah blah. He listened and tried to argue but gave up in mid-sentence.

Anyway, I find it disturbing that the manufacturers put warning labels on these things and parents still rent and buy them. I'm all for freedom in the marketplace, but on the other hand, there oughta be a law ...

P.S. The kittens have almost as good an effect at calming him as the Adderall does. We're going to knock down the dosage again in 2 wks.

 

[klmno]

This was a big issue in my hosue, aswell. I disccussed it with psychiatrist who said to stick to my guns about it (no pun intended). The PO wanted me to allow difficult child to have games like this because, as she informed us both, "she lets her two step-sons have violent games and they are way younger than difficult child". psychiatrist said it does have an effect on kids even easy child's and even if it isn't immediately obvious. I simply refused to compromise on that- no M rated games or games listed as having gore, blood, and violence.

FWIW, my difficult child, also, was always very sensitive about being reminded that he was different or needed medications, especially in public.

 

[Babbs]

Huzzah for sticking to your guns! I only wish more parents would do what you have done.

Personally, I strickly limit all monitor time - computer time, Wii time, TV time are all high interest and motivational activities even after 3 years on a token economy and difficult child has to buy 30 minutes at a time with a limit of no more than 1 hour a day during the week and 3 hours a day during weekends. I'm very strict about what difficult child watches and interacts with - e.g. all Wii games are rated E, all computer video games are educational, and nothing on TV or movies that's over PG (difficult child is 8 yrs old). Ex has been exposing difficult child to PG 13 and R rated movies since the age of 3 (ack!!) and used to park difficult child in front of the TV as a toddler so that ex could play computer games unhindered when I wasn't around. The research has shown that monitor time significantly hinders early language development and we're teaching our kids to have immediate gratification and pre-programming brains for visual and auditory quick paced stimulation. And the ratings exist for a reason - I just don't understand people who think that it's okay to expose 4 year olds to PG 13 movies filled with violent action - kids that age are just not cognitively mature enough to understand the difference between reality and fantasy and how imitation of what they see on the screen has significant consequences.

 

[susiestar]

Isn't it infuriating that many kids get these violent games from their parents? husband and I fought for YEARS over video/computer games. husband actually told me that Wiz wouldn't be able to talk to other kids in preschool and in reg classes! I thought he was joking the first time he told me that.

The games and animated cartoons can cause seizures with the flickering lights. Many of our kids are on medications used to treat seizures. They are effective in stabilizing mood but also to treat various types of seizure disorders. Children with-o a seizure disorder who have taken mood stabilizers or other antiseizure medicines need to be tapered off very slowly. Actually the same goes for adults.

Here is a helpful article with info on how to lower the risk of seizures with-o totally removing a cartoon or other show that might trigger seizures.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070222142935AAFBXp3

 

[TerryJ2]

Thanks, Susiestar.

And, while I've got the soapbox, I still don't allow Grand Theft Auto in my household. When I tell difficult child that in front of his friends (who all have it) they all look at the floor.

 

[susiestar]

Kudos to you, Terry! I don't allow any games like that in the house either. If a friend comes for an overnight and has a game like that I put it up until I can hand it to a parent. Imaging the surprise on one mom's face when I handed her an M rated game her son brought over? Dad bought it after Mom said no way. He told the kid to hide it. Us moms have to stick together!

 

[butterfly31972]

I'm jumping on the bandwagon with this one. My husband had the nerve to buy my son a Teen video game for my five year old son because it was like $3. I waas like this is a teen game and he was like really. I was like yeah, the music alone should tell you that. I was furious! here I am busting my tail trying to get help for my over-active, over- stimulated son and I cannot get any cooperation from my husband. From that point on, I was telling him that the school wanted to see him and me-not just me. After he sat in a few meetings and listened to how behind he was in reading, etc. and how if we wanted him fully mainstreamed, we needed to work with him alot more at home, I finally started getting some help.

It is definitely something I have to watch because my husband is an avid gamer (the bane of our marriage) and so when I would ground my son from them for a consequence, while I was at work, my husband would let him watch while he played. Hello! It is still fun! LOL!

Now my husband works out at my job while I go to work at night so the kids are with me at night also so this is no longer a problem.

You go girls! I am glad I am not the only one.

 

[Christy]

Way to stand your ground. I do not understand how any parent can be okay with their child spending hours or even minutes in front of a game that's main objective is to kill and destroy.

I am a big fan of the Lego video series (Lego Star Wars, Lego Batman, Lego Indiana Jones). They are adventurous without graphic violence and lots of fun. husband and I have been known to play after difficult child goes to bed and neither of us are gamers.

 

[TerryJ2]

Butterfly, I hear you.
Despite all the psychiatric mtngs we've had, the fact that our son is on medications and has even been in a psychiatric hospital, my husband still says, "When I was his age, we did blah, blah blah."
Uh, slight difference, ya think?
Yes, some of the violence is a male thing. But knowing our son and his issues, I see little excuse for the fast paced killing games.
husband bought the new James Bond PS2 and didn't realize that all it was, was shooting. He even apologized. But did he take it away?
Noooo. Mom gets to be the Bad Guy in this game.