My 13 year old wants to game after homework and it's become a point of conflict. He says 2 hours is normal but school nights he's losing sleep and grades are slipping. He keeps arguing that his friends all play more. I'm trying to be the cool dad but also not ruin his future. How are you guys setting boundaries without being the bad guy?
Two hours after homework is actually reasonable for a 13 year old but I get why it feels like too much. The issue is usually not the gaming itself but other stuff not getting done. Does he have downtime before gaming or is it straight from homework to screen? That matters.
I feel this one hard - with three kids I'm constantly negotiating screen time on school nights. Two hours is definitely too much when it's affecting sleep and grades, even if that's what his friends are doing. Maybe frame it as earning gaming time after grades improve?
At 13 he's at that age where sleep is actually crucial for his development, so I'd put my foot down on school nights. Maybe compromise with 1 hour max on weekdays and he can have more leeway on weekends?
I deal with this constantly with my oldest. We set a hard stop at two hours on school nights and he can do more on weekends. The conflict is real but consistency helps. Also try getting him interested in other stuff - he's less likely to argue about gaming limits if he has alternatives.
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At 13 that's not crazy. My concern would be making sure homework is actually done and done well, and that he's getting outside time and sleep. If those boxes are checked then two hours after school isn't the end of the world. The key is he can't negotiate it up.
Two hours seems like you're already being pretty reasonable. I'd say the fact that there's conflict means you need to sit down together and actually agree on the limit together rather than it being something you're forcing. He's 13 so he wants some say in it.