Yr 7 DS and Minecraft computer game after school

Similar experience here with DS (year 9). I do agree with it being quite sociable - he has set up a private server and is playing with three friends with Skype for verbal contact.

We too have imposed rules about no gaming after school during the week (Friday's ok if not too much homework) and only after lunch on weekends with an hour on/hour off rule so he has a break. We try and stick to a no computing after 8pm on weekends, but the nagging abilities of DS are second to none!

It is an immersive game, so the grumpiness and lack of communication are an issue with us too, but DS is pretty good at reverting to his normal reasonable self once he joins reality again.

A couple of nights ago, yr8 DS shouting very loudly into his headset - "Sean!! You need to get some sheeeeeeeep!"

It would be quite entertaining if Minecraft hadn't stolen both of my children

DD (12) likes Minecraft as well. We don't have an X Box so she has the PC version which keeps crashing. She hasn't played it for ages though.

DS1 as well - just gone into Y9 :o

Common link here.... all Yr7 and Yr8 boys!

My 13 yr old [yr 8] likes playing minecraft, Once homework is done I dont mind.

like reading, drawing detailed pictures of helicopters etc, playing outside with his younger brother and Lego

With the exception of reading I think its fine and indicative of his growing up to stop doing those other things.

I am the strict one.
yr8 DS gets 5 hours/week of Minecraft all of it after school because his weekends are so busy & other DC only get their computer time on weekends (also limited, all this is term time only, different setup in holidays).
yr8DS is getting an iPad soon, though, he'll have close to unlimited access to Minecraft on that as long as it causes no problems. I expect him to start using 90% of our Bandwidth

I am planning to shut off WiFi access for DS iPad at 8:30pm every night, not back on until next day afternoon (still figuring out how to do that without shutting down WiFi for everyone).

When "playing" Minecraft DS spends part time running server, part time playing, part-time researching Minecraft news & tricks, part-time chatting with friends on the server, part-time skyping with friends about how funny it all is, it's not just "playing" Minecraft. It's got at least 4 channels to it. And all this is before he gets a FB account.

Bloody Minecraft.... At the weekend I had DS2 (11) and two of his friends on Kinect in my playroom. I could hear "X! Why have you stolen all my torches! Give me my stuff back!" it was constant.

SLightly better than Halo where they kept dying (yes, I know it's a 15)

Minecraft is a very absorbing game, both mine play it extensively.
DS has a time limit, no more than a couple of hours a day. He is older than your DS and accepts the need for a balance.

MCC have you hacked my account, I could have written your post! I have been worried too so we have started "no mc until you have done your homework" and then setting a limit on it too. Evil mummy here!!

All sounds very familiar! My son somehow hooks up with his mates on Skype and they all play together so it then becomes more of a social event. It's quite amusing to hear them all shouting at each other. He's definitely banned from going on it before school though.