[Saiahma]

My DS is 5, he spent some time with with his 10 yr old uncle this summer (my little brother, I love calling him uncle Tyler

Anyhow, he gave him a few of his old Pokemon cards and Isaiah takes them EVERYWHERE. He sat in his room when he was sick a few weeks ago and drew pictures of Pokemon, and cut them in to cards, but he really wants to buy some "real ones". He doesn't watch a lot of TV, but will catch the Pokemon catoon once in a while. I'm not sure what the point of the cards is exactly, but he and my stepson (who is also 5) will make up stories about battles between the cards (which doesn't really bother me, at least they're using their imaginations) DS is also very proud of the fact that he can read now and he will read the info on the cards to my stepson... I just don't know if I want him to get in to collecting something like this. He had a few dollars spending money saved up and we walked to a local hobby shop, the only sold more expensive cards (Magic, Yu Gi Oh, etc...) and I let him buy one pack fo the yu Gi Oh things, but they were $4 for 5 cards! Does anyone elses kid collect anything like this? Should I just let him spend his extra spending money on what he wants and not make a big deal about it, maybe he'll get tired of it soon?? WHat are your thoughts?

 

[Piglet68]

My first inclination is to say "let him do it". After all, his money is there to teach him about money, right? So let him figure out what happens when you blow it all on a few things. I'd see how it goes if you tell him he can have the cards, but must pay for it with his own money only. Show him how much of his total balance he's spending, give him examples of what else he could spend it on, what he'll have left over, etc. I don't think the card obsession is all that bad. Kids go through phases like this, as I recall from being a kid (I went wild about hockey cards once). You could turn this into a good lesson on economics!

 

[laralou]

Ds went through this (and sometimes still reverts). I think it is harmless. I have allowed him to spend his allowance on them and to put them on his Christmas and birthday lists. If not cards, then some other worthless junk that will break in a couple of hours.

You picked up on the big benefit of the cards. He reads them avidly and uses math to figure out who has the best attacks etc. His favorites are never the "popular" characters or the most powerful, but always the most interesting. I think given the right perspective through you, they can be a learning tool.

 

[Saiahma]

The economics lesson is a good point....we've been through this a few times now. The cards cost $4.21 and he has $2 left, so he's trying to figure out how much more he needs for more cards...I guess I'll let it go...at least he's not wanting candy or something. Thanks for the replies!

 

[summerdgo]

I thought Pokemon were harmless until someone pointed out to me the similarity to cock fighting or dog fighting. I watched the movie and sure 'nuff. They go around capturing form the wild, trading/buying/stealing from breeders and collectors various magical animals that they then trap in tiny cages (Pokemon balls) and only let out to fight with other of these creatures for the purpose of increasing the reputation of the "trainer". I find this very disturbing and I do not allow my kids to buy any of the merchandise. This is unusual for me since I am not very restrictive about their toys and what they spend their money on.

There are lots of other toys that can foster the same skills you have mentioned. We have a few card games that have pictures or designs (Go Fish, Uno, Set). They are favorites of my 6 year olds.

I don't think that kids, especially at that age, really are concious of the correlations I see, but I'm not okay with giving unspoken approval to the practices by allowing them to be represented in a game. I see it as akin to (not equal to) allowing them to play Klu Klux Klan. It is only play, but approval of that kind of play would send the wrong message.

I hope this doesn't sound too judgemental - like I said, I used to think they were okay and my oldest had a handed down set of 200 or so for several months before I changed my mind.

 

[3boys4us]

I don't have a problem with Pokeman cards or YuGiOh stuff. This are fantasy based games and my kids never had a problem with them. IMO most kids can tell tell the difference betweenfantasy animals and the real thing.

They are expensive new but you can find them used pretty cheap used.

 

[DebraBaker]

I just had a fit over these

things yesterday.

They cause arguements, they cause divisions and bad feelings (not just with my children but between other neighborhood children.)

They are unreasonably expensive (My children are sick of me comparing them with the Dutch Tulip phenom.)

Cock fights, yes, similar, huh, but at least no innocent animal is harmed!

Did I say how much I *hate* those

 

[idaismyname]

Have you thought about baseball cards.
They are a little more innocent and now might be a good time with the world series coming up.

 

[Liz]

I see the kids across the street in the schoolyard playing some game with these cards. I think they gamble with them, not sure of the details. One day a father was sitting waiting for his son to finish up with the game. He purposely caught my eye, pointed to my 3 year old son and said, "Don't ever let him get into these things." These boys (it always seem to be boys) were older than your son though, probably about 7.

 

[oceanbaby]

I don't know much about trading cards, but I was a sticker fanatic in grade school. I obsessed over my collection, traded at recess, and spent every spare dime on new stickers. I eventually grew out of it just fine. So I wouldn't be worried about that aspect of it.

I don't know anything about Pokemon, but if there is an aspect of violence to the cards, then that would be my concern, not the trading and collecting of cards themselves. For what it's worth, I personally wouldn't consider imaginary card battles to be violence. I mean if the characters have guns and swords or otherwise glorify violence and death. That I wouldn't allow, just as I wouldn't allow violent cartoons.

 

[OdessaEarthenMama]

There are a lot of boys that my 8 year old son hangs out with that have these types of cards. OUr whole family used to watch Pokemon, but I have only vaguely see Yu Gi Oh, and luckily my son isn't too interested in it. However I do agree in the economics lesson, if your kid wants them, make them buy them themselves. They are expensive. My husband & I were at Toys R Us a couple weeks ago, Christmas window shopping, and a gal at the register with her son bought $30 worth of those cards. I was like NO WAY! I have 5 kids, spend $5 on a regular basis for those things would be too expensive!

 

[urklemama]

I don't allow Pokemon or Yu Gi Oh. I do allow Magic: the Gathering. Totally arbitrary and unfair? Yep. Tough, I'm the mama!

 

[Marsupialmom]

If the Pokemon do not want to go into the pokemon balls they are not forced to, unless the owner is a bad. It is like crate training a dog or another den type animal. One of the main charcter's Pokemon refuses to go into his ball or evolve, his owner cannot force him. His owner has to respect his needs/desires.

Also on the occassions the Pokemon have been mistreated they are scolded about how they treat their animals or it is by a bad guy's doing and there is a lesson taught. A good master know how to treat and UNDERSTAND there pokemon, Just like a good pet owner will know and understand their pet. If you want a good Pokemon you have to be a good owner and treat your pokemon right.

Any stealing of Pokemon are done by the bad guys. The bad guys always loose (like most good vs evil children's story). IMO, the story lines are no worse than most children's fairy tales. How many of those we read the children are beaten, abused, and left behind? Think about the non-Disney versions of Cinderella.

In at least one of the cartoons there have been ecological lessons. My son said that story was simiular to the LORAX. I did my parental responciblity and talked about treating our envornment and each other right.

Now if you really want to show concern and teach your child about pet/animal responciblity have him work at a human society (or you). Teach the importance of properly training your pets so they can be enjoyable to all.

My son never really got into the card game. I know they can cause arguements with kids but there are some thinking and problem solving skills involved. Parental involvement never hurts with anytype of game. My friends g-ma laughed at the aguements because she remembers having the same type of arguements over marbles.

It is just fanatsy, no worse than pretending to go out and slay dragons. Or since my son reacently read about a bear reasearcher slaying the bears that killed him. My son got bored and read a news paper article about it while I was in bed. Now he is obsessed but as this reasearcher was quoted he was intruding in there home not the other way around (I made my son copy the quote and we are reading about other animal researchers now.)

I know many people are against working animals, but there is balance. How many people are more educated by working/show animals. Yes, there is wrongs and abuse but you address those issues IN REAL LIFE.

Maybe I am hopeless, but not all things are bad. Find the good in them and discuss with your child the good and bad, that is how morals and values are taught.

 

[brookely ash]

Marsupialmom - very well stated! I completely agree.

 

[Tigeresse]

This reply is from my 11 yo ds:

I love yugi-oh. A few years ago I was into Pokemon but you know, it's kind of hard to like something or a very, very long time. So now I'm into yugi-oh cards. And I really like them. And I agree with some of you, yugi-oh cards are overpriced, but still they're fun and kind of like doing extra homework (if you're in school). When you play the game, every card will have a certain amount of points, and some monsters will have special abilities (note: cards are called monsters). You engage in battles with the monsters. When you attack a monster, depending on the different position it's in, you will do a certain amount of damage. If you do more damage than you need to, the extra damage will affect your opponent's life points. When your opponents life points go from 8000 to zero, you win. But there are other cards, such as magic cards or trap cards that will help you win the battle. Magic cards do things like increasing a monster card's points, and trap cards can do things like destroying one monster that's controlled by your opponent. So the math and the reading....when a monster attacks another monster, you have to figure out the difference between the points, and some monsters have special abilities, which you're not going to get unless you read. The show isn't that bad, there's some peril, but all the violence is between holograms of the cards. So yugi-oh lovers have fun!!!