6 year old obsessed with computer games!

[Feellikerubbish]

My 6 year old used to get aggressive when asked to stop playing computer games and will throw tantrums. He doesn't get to play a lot as i am fed with his behaviour. It is to the point now that all he talks about is games and even after he has had the amount of time he is allowed, will still keep asking to play on my phone whenever he has free time.

I have tried in the past to let him play whenever he wants and for as long as he wants, in the hope that he will just get bored of it. This didn't work and he would sit for hours playing, even leaving his dinner to play.

Now i make him work for it in terms of concentrating at school in class, playing and sharing nicely with friends and using his manners. With 5 days of good behaviour, he gets to watch a film on fridays, play games on saturdays but have to show self discipline when it's time to stop with no tantrums, then he gets another turn on sunday. This started off working well for 2 weeks until of course the start of summer holidays.

I would take him out and he would moan that it's boring and be rude. He just doesn't seem to want to do anything unless it's playing games on my phone or the computer.

Has anyone else had a similar experience or any advice for me. I'm getting really fed up and just don't know what to do!

[Spotsonmydots]

I would go cold turkey with this - no computer games or phone games for a while

[lljkk]

my 6yo is weak at maths so has to do 5 math problems for 1/2 hour screen time. If I didn't want him doing math, he could do writing or chores around the house like emptying the dishwasher, sweeping the floor. Similar system for my older ones.

Oh, and we have a matching hours thing, so for every hour on a computer game they have to spend an hour out of the house.

[Timetoask]

With my DS we have a rule, during school time he can only play for 1 hour on saturdays. When it's school holidays he can play fridays and saturdays.
That's the rule, so there is no getting angry because he will not get any more than that. He is happy to go out to play in the garden.

In your shoes I would go completely cold turkey on any screen games. Instead take him to do lots of sport and have fun out and about. He will see how much more fun it is to do something active and will forget about the games.

[SugarPlumpFairy3]

We had this with my dd (7) and the iPad. We tried lots if different strategies like 20 mins per day, having to earn it etc but it always ended in tears when her allotted time was up or she kept nagging to play. Also, she never stopped talking about the various games she played. It just got obsessive so we went cold turkey. The iPad has been on top of the wardrobe for a few weeks now and she hasn't mentioned it.

[Feellikerubbish]

Thanks all. I thought i would try lifting restricitions and play with him, with the hope that he will just become less interested if it was available to him more. But to revert back to just weekends when he goes back to school. Unfortunately, he was so rude to me, i decided to take it all away until he shows me good behaviour.