Who is unreasonable, me or my teen?

[RannisLord]

In our house we have one TV and one PS5. The PS5 is connected to the TV, so we can’t watch the big TV and play on the PS5 simultaneously (can watch Netflix/Disney+ on tablet/phone). Therefore, we take turns. Everyone is usually pretty good and chilled about sharing. Everyone except DS2.

DS2 gets home first and is normally home about 3 hours before the rest of us. That’s 3 hours he can spend watching TV or playing PS5 without anyone interrupting him. Sometimes he plays PS5 but sometimes he watches TV, and sometimes he does neither. However, on the days he doesn’t play PS5 he then expects to get a turn later in the evening.

I think this is unreasonable as he can use the TV/PS5 for those 3 hours he is home before us and he can choose either TV or PS5. He thinks this is very unfair as it means DS1 and DS3 get a turn on the PS5 and he doesn’t. He thinks he should be able to choose to have his turn later in the evening if he wishes.

Whilst I understand his point of view there simply isn’t enough time for all three DC to have a turn after we all get home on a school night. AIBU?

Yanbu. This is exactly the system we have. They can go on the playstation until it is family time when we get to watch tv.

Is it something where they play live, against friends........perhaps his friends are not online until later?

You need another tv for the console. He may not want to be on then as hid friends may not be on till the evening. Considering how much and how hard it can be to get a PS5 and there are three children that share it I would definitely buy another tv if I could afford it.

Yanbu they get 3 whole hours of pure tv/ps5 time to themselves. If they don’t use it that’s on them.

Also couldn’t you pick up a cheap small tv for the console so when nobodies on it but someone wants to they can plug into the little screen.

another tv and the ps5 in another room and let them fight it out who uses what

I agree with the poster above. Get another TV so there is more flexibility

I don't know how you are managing to share the tv and gaming time, it would be absolute carnage in our household!

you need a dedicated tv for the ps5.

YABU

3DC and multiple streaming services for one tv?

For your own sanity get another tv. Or two.

Personally I'd get at least one more TV. Taking turns when you want to do something of an evening sounds like a royal pain in the arse.

Get rid of the tv and the games console.

Just buy another TV.

God, I couldn't be bothered with this aggravation. You can pick up a secondhand TV on Gumtree for next to nothing.

What if his friends aren’t playing until later?

You are. Like others have said, his DFs are probably online in the evening.

If you have any space at all I'd get a cheap tv for the PS5.

I can see where your coming from but if his friends are not online until later it does seem unfair that he never gets to play with his friends.

Honestly I’m impressed you’ve managed this long with one TV!

Both our boys have their own TVs, both of which we got for free from people who were just giving them away.

We don’t have online so he’s not playing against friends. They don’t watch much TV. He watches the most TV out of the three of them. It’s the PS5 they all want rather than the TV, so a second TV wouldn’t much change things.

I think sometimes he doesn’t think to go on but then when he sees his brothers playing he decides he wants a turn.

I'd get another TV for the PS5 and start saving for the future when they all want their own TV and games console, when they all want to play online with their friends at the same time!

Sounds like a pita all round tbh, get a second monitor and move the ps away from the TV room. Get the dc saving up for their own consoles too, especially the teen/s

🤣 It has been pointed out to me (by them) that their friends have a games console per child! It took me 6 months (and many hours in many virtual queues) to get one PS5!

Following your update, I think yanbu. It doesn't take 3 hours to wind down after school enough to want to play games. In fact if he was canny he could play unmolested for three whole hours before his siblings arrive home! You need to draw up a fixed rota and give each of them their non negotiable timeslot, imo.

It isn’t ideal if he wants to play online with friends usually later in the evening.

As you don't have a spare tv the time allocated is fair.

Exactly @MammaWeasel He has more time than anyone else in the family!