Controlling new step-dad

[kitten]

2 weekends ago, my 7yr old ss brought his playstation 2 and a new game that his mother had bought him.  It was rated "teen".  SS told dad that mom had previewed it and decided it was ok for him.  Dad allowed ss to play game as 3yr old sd, 5yr old ss and my 8 & 5 yr old daughters watched.  The game is that you are an armed man looking for bad guys to kill (or something like that).  There are innocent bystanders that you can also kill if you choose to, the innocent bystanders beg for their lives when you take aim at them.  THAT is when the game was turned off!
 
Dad called Mom and stated game was not appropriate.  Mom says it is ok because her new husband (who is in Alaska and has only spent 4 weeks with these children total) said it was fine for her children.  Last night when talking with 7yr old, he told his Dad that David (new step-dad) said that he could "earn" an "M" rated game when they move to Alaska.  M stand for mature.  Dad talked to mom and said that under no circumstances is a teen rating or an M rating appropriate.  Once again, she stated that David said it was ok.  Not only do we need to deal with the possiblity of only seeing the kids 4 weeks out of the year, but also a controlling freak of a new step-dad with visions of Godliness.

The trial is Dec. 1st and we are scared to death!

[StPaulieGirl]

Looks like you've got a problem with the stepfather already.  Sounds like he's bribing your ss.  It's up to Will to lay down the law.  

Don't sweat the video games.  I gave up years ago.  Concentrate on the move away issue.  If you can win that, you can control what comes into your home, and what your kids see in your home.

My 10 yr old plays with her brother, who is 17, her 25 yr old bro in law, and his 24 yr old brother.  Not to mention Deux Ex with her 30 yr old bro in law.  These games are continual bloodbaths.  It doesn't even matter if the game is meant to be harmless, a child can find ways to make it less than harmless.  I was watching my little one, who was probably around your ss age, playing some road race game.   She was T-boning every cop car that she could nail.  That is not the way the game was supposed to be played!  

I miss Super Mario Brothers :(  If you're smart and documenting everything, I think this issue could be brought up in court.  My ex has bought the kids some of these video games, and the rest belong to the "grownups".  Btw, my bf is just as bad as the rest of them when it comes to these games.

Fight against that move away.  That imo, is your main issue.  

[kitten]

We have done all we can to fight the move away.  Now we just present our case in court.  Unfortunately, CA courts don't accept testimony from small children and consider things the kids tell Dad to be "hearsay".  

Will did lay down the law to his son.  He told him that any game teen rated and up is off limits regardless of what Mom and David say.  It is being used as a bribe, the kids don't want to go to AK.  Some people are so sick.  

BTW, thanks for your response.  I really needed to vent.  :(

[wendl]

Kitten,

which game ws it. I know bm lets my skids (7 &9) play resident evil, max payne, grand theft auto, which are NOT approperiate for kids that age, heck my 12yr isn't allowd to play them. Some people just have no common sense.

Oss brought resident evil to our house one, he was mad at me as I put it up and he was NOT allowed to play with it, dh sent the information on the rating of the games to mom and asked her NOT to send games like that with oss to our house again.


**These are my opinions, they are not legal advice**

[MYSONSDAD]

Stick to your guns, no pun...

Someone needs to monitor what they are playing with. It is a bribe and not good parenting.

Will is their FATHER, not David. He has every right to be concerned and put down some rules. How will they ever know what respect is if their given everything and not restricted on some ground rules.

There is some very good reasoning behind those age limits on many toys. You would not give a 2 year old something that clearly states 12 +

[Hawkeye]

bump.. because...

because we have a day or so before Glenn Sacks rocks....

[StPaulieGirl]

Small children shouldn't have to testify in these kind of cases.  The judge should know his/her business well enough to decide on these cases.  But they don't.  They're idiots.

Vent away, Kitten.  It's okay.

[kitten]

The games are being used as a control tactic and a PAS tactic.  

About a year ago, Will and I showed the kids the frogs falling from the sky scene from "Magnolia".  If any of you have seen the movie, it is ABSOLUTELY innapropriate for children.  We thought the kids would think the frog thing was cool though, and they did, but that is ALL they saw.  The kids told bm that they saw Magnolia and that is all she had to hear to use against Dad.  It is one of the issues she is using to say he is an irresposible father.  It has been filed with the court.  She never called to ask dad the situation, she just ran with it.  She is seen as a concerned, protective mother, but when Will brings up issues with her, it is hearsay and him being angry.  The system is so screwed and the children pay the price.  

[smtotwo]

Those are the same 3 games we don't allow at our house.   Skids are 8&10.
They also want AC/DC and Guns and Roses cd's for x-mas

Guns & Roses sings I used to love her but I had to kll her.   THATS appropriate for 10&8 yr olds.  NOT!!