Finally got my 10yo off Fortnite

5d ago1 min read

Not gonna lie, it took a family meeting, taking the PS5 away for a week, and setting up Apple Screen Time with actual consequences. He was playing 4-5 hours after school which was insane. Now we have a hard stop at 1 hour on school nights and he has to earn weekend time by doing chores. First week sucked, lots of complaining, but he's actually been playing outside again and talking to us at dinner. If anyone else is dealing with this, you gotta be the bad guy sometimes. Worth it though.

8 comments138 views

Comments(8)

JJason T.Regular5d ago

Taking the PS5 away is the move that actually works. We did screen time limits for months with zero impact until we made it hurt in a way our kids actually cared about. How's he doing with gaming now that the dust settled?

RRick M.Regular4d ago

Family meeting plus consequences. That's the formula right there. So many parents just complain about screen time but don't actually do anything about it. Apple Screen Time is solid once you set it up properly.

EEthanNew Dad5d ago

Dude, respect for actually following through with consequences. That's the hardest part, not just setting the rules but sticking to them. We're still in the trenches with screen time over here but this gives me hope.

MMarcus L.Regular5d ago

A family meeting sounds like the right move. Takes guts to have that conversation but sounds like it worked. How's he doing with it now, is he finding other stuff to do?

SScott M.Regular4d ago

Family meeting approach is solid. You didn't just take it away, you involved him in the decision. That's way more effective than just being the bad guy all the time.

MMike R.Regular4d ago

The Apple Screen Time setup is clutch. Took us a while to figure out the right limits but once we did it cut back so much of the fighting. Nice work getting through the week long cold turkey though, that's the hard part.

FFrank M.New Dad3d ago

How's he doing now with the new rules in place? Did he find other stuff to do or is he still fighting it?

JJason T.Regular4d ago

This is where I'm headed if my kids don't figure it out soon. The Fortnite thing is real and it's crazy how addictive that game is for kids. Did you have to deal with the blowback when you first took it away?