Stepkids and Computer games

[Gazbag]

Hi.
My OH has 2 sons (age 10 and 7) who play on their Xbox morning noon and night.
Neither interact much with other kids, they never go out and play and they are totally addicted.
They wake up at 6 - 6.30am, roll over and switch it on.
On a school day at around 8.30am, OH finally notices and then everything is a mad rush to get them dressed, breakfasted and washed.
Almost everyday, they are the last kids into school.
Weekends are basically spent on the damn machine with only food and toilet breaks.
They have handheld computer games in the car so they don't miss a moment!
Now, the problem is that OH doesn't see the problem and insists all kids do this.
Where can I point her to make her understand?

This site may be of some help you Gazbag. Hope it helps.

For what its worth, I don't think that being on the X box for that length of time can be very good for them either.

My DP only has a dd so no direct experience but I'm certain this can't be good for them

DPs dd would be on MSN all day if we'd let her but when she's with us all day we restrict her to an hour in the morning and another hour in the evening. Personally I think 2 hours a day on any kind of computer/game machine is enough

Does their BM allow them to play on these wretched gadgets so much?

Think the poster's OH is the birth mother Caligula

Both parents think that I am a monster for trying to restrict them.
I have a 14yr old son who plays with his computer game as he does any other, ie, sporadically and sometimes for 30 mins, sometimes for a couple of hours.
We do lots of sports and outdoor stuff and OH thinks I'm cruel if I try to get them to join in!
Should I just shoot her? (only joking!!)

Oh. Didn't realise that that's called stepmother.

All kids most certainly do NOT do this. If the kids live with you all the time, at least you have more control over this.

Is there anything you and your partner are addicted to or really love doing (mumsnet, wine, TV prog etc.) which you could do a deal with your step kids about? How about something like a Lent challenge - we'll give up booze / Corrie/ whatever for Lent if you give up xbox (Sunday's excluded so that it's only for 6 days at a time!) and if you manage it, for each week you do you'll get a reward of X and if we all manage it at Easter we'll give ourselves a family reward of .... (not a new x box game!)

Would that be a goer?

It's not the kids that are the problem - it's the birth parents.
I am ready to leave but I am so annoyed that the kids are turning out the way they are that I want to "rescue" them. (don't mean to sound so dramatic but you know what I mean.)

Can you hide the machines and whistle casually when they ask where they are?