AIBU to want to smash the Xbox?

[Polkadot1974]

Saw a link on FB earlier via a friend asking about Fortnite. This game is like Mumsnet to my son. Highly addictive and he has become so moody
How to restrict it without tears/ sledgehammer is my plan by weekend before I parachute myself to a remote island

From the time I introduced a console to my dc's, I instilled rules.
No tantrums. When it's time to switch off, that's it. Any tantrums mean no playing for a few days. - This is very effective and they quickly learn you mean business.

Time restrictions. Doesn't have to be set on the console. But you set a limit that you are happy with.

homework, chores, etc first. They will also have to come off for dinner, and their time is paused. However, gobbling down food to rush back time reduced.

Then along came headphones. 3 warnings and you are off. I have a no tolerance shouting.

The above has worked here for years since we had the snes etc.

I am also a meanie who does know and care about age restrictions on the games.

It just seems that some of these parents are creating the problem themselves unnecessarily.

I dont know how long each game lasts but if its 15 minutes, give 15 minutes notice that tea will be ready so they can finish the current game but not start the next one.

Telling someone to stop playing a game, reading a book, watching tv etc immediately causes the problem. For the sake of a few minutes, i want to finish the chapter, game etc

You need a different approach

I'm worried about impact in study. I know he enjoys it, it's great to hear him planning and socialising with friends. But in a few years, he'll be doing exams and I fear this is a massive distracton.

Just like other distractions such as the internet.

We’ve gone as far as switching the power off at the mains when turning the Wi-fi off didn’t work.
I’ve even taken a hammer upstairs so he knows I’m very serious that when I say off I mean off.
Getting him into scooting has been the only thing that’s helped him lose interest in the PlayStation and Xbox, it’s not the cheapest of hobbies but it’s getting him outside and fitter than he’s been in a long time.

[digs out hammer]

I don't believe in banning screen time for its own sake, unless it's causing a problem. But throwing tantrums when asked to stop playing or not stopping playing when it's time to do something else IS a sign of a problem.

I know it’s too late now but the solution is simply to not buy one. Say it’s too expensive

I've just restricted my DS's time on it to 1.5 hours/day on weekdays and 2 at weekends.
Worst mum ever.

Automatic restriction via Xbox controls. So no arguing!

Oh the shouting! My DS denies he’s doing it, just because he can’t hear his own volume with the headphones on. I would happily throw the Xbox out the window!

DS1 is 12 and hasn't had a tantrum over gaming for a long time. When we first had the xbox he used to go absolutely batshit about finishing games so we were super-strict. One day he mouthed off at me when I asked him to switch it off and I lost my shit completely, picked up the tv, xobx and all the strings at the back, shoved it all in the loft and said he could earn it back when he sorted out his attitude.

DS2 is 7 and has just begun to play Minecraft on there. the first hint of any nonsense and he'll have the same consequence.

I didn’t buy one, Santa did
Santa is an arse.

Yes Santa is a dick for delivering the box of doom. DS rightly likens it to my phone but he jumps up and down and wolfs food down to get on it and shrieks when it’s time to find off so it IS addictive. I need to figure out how to switch on the timer thing
Interesting reading though and glad I’m not alone but also cross a stupid game has this effect

I feel your pain ladies. Same shit in my house but on weekends I hide the headphones because the shouting stops me having a quiet lie in!
Having said that I really like the game myself (currently waiting to see if he's asleep so I can have a go) and I'd really like a 'mum squad' so if any of you would like some online gaming....DM me please 😁😁😁

Destroying other people's property is abusive (all those of you twats threatening to use hammers.)

If you want a sharp lesson in how unpleasant and harmful your attitudes are, have a little look on Youtube at 'parents destroy children's electronics'. You'll be wanting to throw up within about five minutes.

Honestly, the scaremongering bullshit about computer games is not new, but every generation has to deal with wilfully ignorant idiots insisting that new inventions are going to mean the end of the world somehow. When I was a kid it was TV, then certain types of music, then it was (the old style) computer games, now it's computer games and social media. Same old shit. Same old excuse for bullying your DC.

Reanimated - are you a gamer? I would never destroy stuff cos I think that's plain nasty and stupid but you can't compare something like fortnite to tv back in the day. Tv does not trigger the dopamine response in the brain the same way computer games do.

The son of the family next door to us is an addicted gamer. He was 15 when we moved in and I had to go and speak to his parents the first morning after our first night in the house. We'd tried to sleep whilst listening to him shouting through the bedroom wall as he played games online though the night.

I remember hearing him screaming in anguish one afternoon. I realised that, having arrived home from school, he had discovered there was a power cut and he couldn't start playing on his Xbox.

I sympathise with all parents who are going through this stress with their children. I'm lucky to have had girls when Gameboys were as good as it got, and that was a five minute wonder.

Same old shit. Same old excuse for bullying your DC.

I posted on a similar thread the other day that it's only recently that we've had kids falling asleep at their desks in class because of their gaming habit. It is pure addiction.

Got your socks on your hands by any chance, you two?

Same here! My child wont stop playing the "epic" fortnite game (or so he calls it) and has flossed in front of me several times.

I don’t have this problem as no tv, xbox etc, but have you tried just turning off the wifi? Problem sorted, if you can’t just make your child limit their playing time.