Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To say no to DS playing the XBox

16 replies

froggies · 18/07/2012 12:52

Ds (16 next week) wants to play his Xbox on the tv in the living room. I said he could move it down from his bedroom a couple of weeks ago, when he asked because the tv is better than the one he has in his bedroom.

Normally I watch very little tv, and no-one is watching it just now, BUT I am a childminder, and currently have my two DD's (3&6) and two mindees in the house (3&6)-playing some kind of kitten game in the playroom which is next to the living room. He likes playing 15 & 16 rated games, so I have said he cannot put it on until the mindees go home, in a couple of hours, and I will do something with DD's in a different room. He is not impressed.

I suggested he take it back up to his bedroom to use his own tv, that didn't go down too well. He said why can't I do something with the little ones somewhere else -one of mine is still a bit wasted after a tummy bug, the mindees were up until 1am this morning because they went with their mum to have their dad admitted to hosp, and both of mine were at ExP's last night so are tiered and grumpy today- we have spent the morning doing drawing and beads, and had thought an afternoon infront of a DVD might be a good plan.

OP posts:
cuntflapwankbadger · 18/07/2012 12:54

YANBU.

Stroppy teens thinking the world revolves around them!

LadySybildeChocolate · 18/07/2012 12:55

Of course you're not being unreasonable. I wouldn't be happy if the childminder caring for my son allowed rated games to be played whilst they were in the room. You may as well stick Rambo on the TV. Your son's being selfish.

WorraLiberty · 18/07/2012 12:56

Perhaps you should remind him that your job pays for the TV (and probably his Xbox) that he's playing on.

TheOneWithTheHair · 18/07/2012 12:57

Tell him again and calmly repeat until he gets the message. It's your house and you are working. He has a choice - play in your room or not at all.

YANBU

TheOneWithTheHair · 18/07/2012 12:57

Sorry his room.

sugarice · 18/07/2012 12:57

Stroppy teens and an xbox, you have my sympathy. YANBU and he should understand why.

nokidshere · 18/07/2012 12:58

YABU because you told him he could bring it downstairs in the first place but YANBU in not letting him use it whilst you have mindees.

My boys are not, and never have been, allowed to have any games console attached to the main tv in the living room. They used to have a little telly in the bedroom and now they have a larger one in the conservatory (courtesy of ebay)!

Davinaaddict · 18/07/2012 13:00

YADNBU!

He's got the option of playing it in his room, so it's not like you've said he can't play it. CM is your job and that has to come first, never mind the fact that as the parent, your word should be the end of it. I'm dreading the teenage years. Hope he doesn't strop too long for you Smile

NoComet · 18/07/2012 13:00

YANBU

I wasn't pleased with the bowling alley that put a party for 7y olds next to a machine running an adult game.

You need to earn your living, your mindees need an age appropriate environment and your DS needs reminding that no childminding means less money coming in to the house.

Now I'm sure a 16y can cook lunch and clean up the kitchen for you all if he doesn't want to go to his roomWink

squeakytoy · 18/07/2012 13:00

YANBU, and he is old enough to understand that the house is your place of work, and while you are working, he cannot do as he pleases.

Suggest he go looking for some ways to earn money to buy himself a new tv for his bedroom.

girlywhirly · 18/07/2012 13:05

Yanbu. Tell him that childminding is your job, the source of money that pays for his xbox and the electricity to run it. When he starts paying for everything so that you no longer need to work he can do as he wishes. Or even better, he can buy himself a better monitor for his room.

I guess he'll have to manage with the TV in his room then.....

StuntGirl · 18/07/2012 13:05

YANBU. There're loooooads of games for the 360, I'm currently in the middle of about 3 different ones. If I was told I couldn't play the adult ones I'd find one of the others to play. He does have a choice in this (plus the option to play whatever he wants upstairs), it's just he doesn't like those choices. Tough!

WhereYouLeftIt · 18/07/2012 13:06

Absolutely not unreasonable. The world does not revolve around him. why can't I do something with the little ones somewhere else" indeed! Ha! He can go up to his room if he wants to play that badly.

froggies · 18/07/2012 13:16

I have always said no before to it being in the livingroom, but as he is older now I leave him at home when I am out with mindees/DD's, and I don't mind him having it on there as long as it is not constantly at the expense of what others want to watch.

When I agreed, it was on the condition that he did not play inappropriatly age rated games when DD's were in the same room, or when I am working, and he agreed, and that other people wanting to watch tv would usually (but not always) take precedence he also agreed to this.

OP posts:
WhereYouLeftIt · 18/07/2012 14:16

froggies, my DS (13) does not have a TV in his room, his XBox has always been attached to the TV in the living room. The TV is available to the XBox until about 7pm-ish, when DH and I generally want to watch something on TV. Sometimes later. Other people wanting to watch TV will ALWAYS take precedence. You have been more than fair to your DS, he has had a dedicated TV for his XBox, something my DS hasn't got and will never have.

It is just the usual teenaged attempt to push the boundaries; he agreed to something and now he wants more, you are holding him to his agreement and he is being "not impressed". So far, so normal. You know YANBU, he knows YANBU. Smile

CaliforniaLeaving · 18/07/2012 21:27

I'd tell him "move it or lose it" you need to settle the little ones down with a DVD and get some peace and quiet.
I'd be annoyed if my little kids could see a teen playing older kids games at the sitters house.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page