GCSE phone

[NattyDeer]

Anyone have any useful tips in how to deal with a 15 year old who stays awake on mobile phone during school nights
can’t take it away from him as he has withdrawal symptoms and gets very angry and resentful
it’s his gcse year

What do you mean by 'withdrawal symptoms'?
Does he have fits, or come out in a rash?

If he doesn’t have a big data package you could turn off the wifi overnight?
We have friends who did this when their boys were teenagers

You might just have to put up with anger and resentment short term.

Withdrawal symptoms?!

I would take his phone away completely if he has withdrawal’s symptoms. I don’t want my children addicted to anything. But I appreciate that’s not for everyone.

Have you tried talking to him about what he wants to do next? And what grades he needs to do that? Does he realise he will have to resit maths and English language if he doesn’t get a three? If he wants to escape the school system, he needs to get some decent marks.

Ds gives us his phone at 830. (Little younger than yours) gets it back in morning

He sucks up his "withdrawal" and you take the phone

No phones in the bedroom overnight. Left in the kitchen to charge.

Who’s the parent here?

Ours always had to leave their phones downstairs from 10pm.

You obviously didn’t instigate a rule like this so it will be harder to introduce, but you need to be the parent and do what you know is best for your DS.

Sit down and calmly discuss what is going to happen and why and then do it. It will be hard to start with and you’re probably going to have him searching for it but you need to step up and get this sorted.

If he gets withdrawal symptoms you definitely need to set rules and stick to them. He gives you the phone latest 9pm and doesn’t get it back until the following morning. You are the adult and the parent - parent him. It’s for his own well being not to get so attached to his phone that he displays withdrawal symptoms if it is removed. It will be tough for a few days but he will get over it and be happier and more rested as a result.

"can’t take it away from him as he has withdrawal symptoms and gets very angry and resentful"

Yes you can, you just don't want to deal with the consequences.

You're an adult, act like one.

If it was heroin would you continue to supply him or would you refuse even though there would be withdrawal symptoms?

You take it away. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I don’t care if mine gets angry. This is life. We have to learn to life and it’s my job as a parent to prepare them for the real world. Phone goes on charge at 10pm and it doesn’t unlock til 7am. They can kick off if they want but they’ll have to be angry. Generally, mine don’t because we’ve always had strict rules about phones. Being on a phone all night is just not acceptable and they know that.

Withdrawals symptoms? Load of rubbish. Would you allow a heroin addict to keep using as weaning off it may be uncomfortable?

This thread has to be BS. You take the phone off them. I’ve never allowed mine to keep their phone over night, my eldest is 16, he still hands his phone over to me every night for me to charge. If this is real, parent your child.

DD in her GCSE year, we have family link on her phone...it automatically locks at 10:30 in the week and midnight at the weekend.

You have your answer already. You won’t take the phone so he won’t stop going on it in the night time. He knows he doesn’t have to.

parent your child!!

my 15 year old hands his phone over at about 9.45. It’s plugged in downstairs overnight. He collects it back the next morning.

there are locks on it so it doesn’t work between 10pm and 7am.

his phone still gets checked randomly, which also means checking he hasn’t taken it and found a way to get around the locks! (He never has).

DS 2 has the same restrictions but he’s younger so his phone gets handed in earlier.

The withdrawal symptoms are an essential step in the process of beating this addiction. Stay the course and have his phone in your hand at 8.30pm every night.

And if you have any younger ones, start doing this now with them.

Really? Just parent and put in a no phone rule after X time. Let him tantrum, he will get used to it as long as you don't back down