F*#@ing Fortnite...ruining our lives 😫

[mrsthoree3009]

Please can anyone help or advise or just empathise. I feel like I'm at the end of my tether with my son. He is 10. Before his dad (who doesn't love with us) got him into this game, he was honestly such a lovely boy, would have his moments like all pre-teens but nothing major. He was doing dance club,football, loved to draw, played out with friends, etc. But since this game has been in his life, everything has stopped. Nothing else matters to him except this bs game. I limit him to an hour on after school and limit him to 2hr then 3 HR break on weekends. But he is so rude, so distruptive to the whole household. If he isn't on his game he is a nightmare. I'm usually really chilled and it takes alot for me to fly off the handle, but this week he has made me loose it. Hes lost Fortnite for 3 days now. But he's still rude. I say right tomorrow can we please start afresh, and he will moan about times, everything is about f#&@ing Fortnite!!! He was above average at school, now he's below. He is putting on alot of weight. He never wants to do anything. He is making me and my husband argue about it. It's affecting his sister's. And now he's saying, in spite at first and now will just say it, that he wants to go live with his dad. It kills me. I feel like the worst mum. I feel like he's gone from being a mummy's boy to actually hating me. And I blame this BS game 😫 I don't know what to do anymore 😢

I'm not looking forward to my kids becoming interested in this. My brother used to spend hours playing when we were kids but this was before the internet of course. He turned out fine though and now makes games/lectures for a living.

Heres a suggestion.
If your child really likes the game and is something he is passionate about, I believe deleting it would probably be the worst possible thing you could do to him. I would suggest that you simply sit with him while he plays his game. Try and spend your own time learning about the game. Talk to him about the game. Start some dialogue, show that you also care about what is important to him, and try and gain an understanding for each other. Build trust with your son on this matter, and also take time to understand his point of view, and why he enjoys this hobby so much. Once you do this, suggest other games to play. Suggest other forms of film/tv/outdoor activities, or any type of recreational activity that he will enjoy that is similar to Fortnite, that he will appreciate. Maybe go out laser tagging; possibly rock climbing. And realize that this is just a passing fad, and that it won't last forever. But also understand that this game is going to be a major part of his childhood. It is your job to make it a positive experience.

Or, of course, you could just delete the game and cut all ties and trust you have with your son. It does seem to be the easy way out.

If my son really liked heroin I wouldn’t sit down and shoot up with him. If the computer game is ruining the op family then get rid of it

Following this thread with interest as my daughter has also recently become fixated with Fortnite. Pixiedust, this is great advice!

My daughter has also recently become fixated with Fortnite. Pixiedust, great advice!

Hi to the lady who asked.. I was just wondering what you chose to do about Fortnite? And did it work. I am having terrible problems with this bloody game!!

God damn how much i hate that game fortnite. It has tore my family apart as all my child does is play that bloody game. I wish i could just smash the thing and tell my son to get over himself before i unplug that stupid gameboy or whatever the hell those things are called these days. I remember the good old days where we didn't have those silly things and we had to use our imagination and go outside. I miss those days...

Gamer and wife of gamer (not possible much these days but we try) checking in.

Games can be very, very addictive and provide a lot of adrenaline. There's also a lot of peer pressure around Fortnite with the younger crowd, so he's probably trying to fit in with the "git gud" crowd and getting frustrated he isn't. Then taking it out on the ones around him.
You say he's putting on weight- is his personal hygiene / appearance suffering at all?
Times like this, I'd remove screens from his bedroom so you can monitor. Bad behaviour continues, take them away and just ride out the inevitable hysterics. Stick to your guns with it.

The gaming community can be amazing and fun and a brilliant hobby to have, but it's flip side is it can be horrifically toxic and harmful.

Get rid of it.

As everyone else is suggesting is to delete it. He will get withdrawal symptoms for sure but it will eventually go away. Just be patient and he will eventually get back to normal life. I hate these b loody games too, my ex used to play world of warcraft all the time. I will never give my son the opportunity to play Fortnite. It just fs your mind up.

I actually love fortnite and my little boy fred plays it every day RUDE!!

If my child’s behaviour, moods, wellbeing and relationships were being affected so badly by something that is completely and utterly non essential I would not hesitate in getting rid. It would never come back. We’d all move on and that would be it. Parents are in control, not children!

My kids simply don't get gaming times on a school night, it becomes too much of a "thing" for them, it's bad enough on weekends.

Unfortunately this thread's become a bit of a magnet for teenage trolls, so we're going to close it to new posts for now.