his game cube is stressing him(and me)out

[jenk1]

my DS who is 8 hasnt gone to school today, he has started throwing up in the morning,wetting himself and crying at the mention of it. He says the kids are calling him names, we havent had any therapy yet are still waiting, anyway i let him stay off today as i felt really mean sending him in, so he has been on his gamecube for the last hour. All i can hear is screaming,crying and shouting and when i go up to ask him whats wrong him screams at me to shut up he cant concentrate, i have pulled him off it,because he was waking the baby up. He is really angry and wont talk to me, how do u handle these tantrums and calm him down?

[TheRealMrsF]

ME AGAIN!

Frustrates me so much that our boys can persist to play something that makes them so angry.

My boys live and breath Playstation/Gameboys and Computer games....and my 8 yr old has had most of his most severe 'meltdowns/tantrums' during his time playing on thses things... he freaks out if the game 'freezes' or if what he expects to happen next...DOESN't.

There are people who think we should restrict the time engaged with these activities...but this is not always simple- as especially when you have another child to look after....as if we restrict one activity - we have to replace it with another.

maybe if he's into a particular game/character etc...you could get him a stategy guide or video (if it's a tv show too)....if he's into coloring etc...maybe look out on the internet for colouring pages that are of interest and relavent to his favourite games....what i am trying to suggest is that you offer him a related activity- rather than just stopping him altogether?

[Davros]

I've had this problem before, something DS likes so much that he gets obsessed and overwhelmed andn it just causes trouble.
What about using a timer, just an egg timer or kitchen timer would do. So you don't say "no, you can't do it" but "yes, you can do it but for this time". OR choose 2 other activities so its "yes, you can do it but let's do these too and then the game cube" and use a timer too
Timers are known to work very well, he will prob resist at first, and you have to have control of it, butif you persist it might help.

[monica2]

We use a timer for all sorts of similar issues jenk1, we find the more visual it is, the better, we have on of
these

[TheRealMrsF]

are those timers in the UK????

[Kelly1978]

If it was me I would take it away from him altogether tbh. i've decided mine aren't goign on the ps for along time to come, especially after reading this today. \linkwww.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=15699609%26method=full%26siteid=94762%26headline=game%2dmad%2ddad%2d%2dkilled%2dbaby%2d-name_page.html\in the paper}

[Kelly1978]

sorry link

[Chocol8]

Mrs F - apparently the UK distributors are: Cicada Educational Equipment: www.cicada-education.co.uk (sorry, my IT skills are non-existent!) or Taskmaster: www.taskmasteronline.co.uk. Or call: 01708 733388 - they're in Romford, Essex.

I use the timing thing all the time, especially for Game Boy & Pokemon. It works well for me too Jenk1.

[TheRealMrsF]

Kelly- the 'problem' we have is that we are talking about AUTISTIC children who become obsessive about things that others can 'take and leave it'

My nephew spends approx 12 hours a day in the weekends and holidays playing football in the park...but for us Special needs mums...we feel gulity as sin when our SN kids spend that time on playstations etc

[TheRealMrsF]

thanks chocs...that time looks excellent....i've never seen one that shows the time remaining as that one does in red.

hows mini-chocs and his gameboy prob???

[TheRealMrsF]

that website is great...even found some storage boxes on it!!!

[Kelly1978]

I don't have very much experience of autism, and only a little of aspergers, but if it is an obsession, doesn't limiting it make it even harder to deal with? Sorry if I am being totally ignorant.

[TheRealMrsF]

that's how i see it too kelly- i just wish sometimes my boys could be obsessed with something 'more acceptable'.

(that news article was very disturbing)

My middle son is into YuGiOh trading cards...and that has replaced his pokemon gameboy obsession at the moment...so i am having an easier time with him at the momnet...however having just been to a school fete...and found a load of chep cards...he now has over 300 of the Bl**dy things!!!

[Chocol8]

Heh heh, trust you to find storage boxes on it MrsF!!!!

Thank you, Mini-chocs is fine (although not that mini anymore!) and still desperately trying to feed his addiction. EVERY time he opens his mouth he mentions Pokemon. Although he wanted to read a Pokemon story book the other night rather than actually play on his Gameboy, which REALLY surprised me!

But, he's happy at his new school and I got nowhere with his old one (separate thread), re the hearing, but - boy, I tried! How are you and your boys?

[TheRealMrsF]

well...they spent the morning at the 'new' school today...and whilst we were waiting fior them to be taken to their classes..we stood in the library- and watched all the kids lining up and going into class....and then his year group walked past ...and about 20 or 30 kids all started shouting "There's Leigh!!!!" etc....and he was SOOOOOOOOOOOOO Happy!!!!

[Kelly1978]

I don't see playing on games as unnaceptable as such, its just the addictiveness of them which worries me more than anything.

Maybe they'll move onto something else when they get a bit older. I lived with a boy aged 10 and his mother for 6 months or so. He had aspergers, and his obsession was with the advanced form of lego. Reading what soem people have said about eugene, I guess that culd appeal to a child on the autistic spectrum.