Gaming is consuming my son's life and I don't know how to handle it

Jul 311 min read

He's 14 and all he wants to do is play Call of Duty and Fortnite with his friends. Homework is getting neglected, he's not going outside, barely talks to us anymore. I've tried limiting screen time but he just sneaks into his room with his phone. His mom thinks I'm being too hard on him. How do other parents handle this without starting World War 3 in their house? I don't want to be that guy who just takes everything away but something has to give.

7 comments145 views

Comments(7)

JJasonRegularAug 2

At 14 this is about finding balance, not elimination. Total ban on gaming usually backfires. Try the homework first approach and give him specific windows where gaming is allowed. And honestly, gaming with friends beats him sitting alone doing nothing, so it's not all bad.

DDaniel M.RegularJul 31

Call of Duty and Fortnite are where all the kids are right now. He's probably not even playing alone, he's with friends online which is part of the appeal. That said, homework has to come first. What are his grades looking like right now?

GGarrett M.New DadAug 1

You need to get ahead of this before it tanks his grades. Set a rule that's non-negotiable: homework done, grades acceptable, then he can game. Also maybe get him to explain why he loves it so much. Sometimes understanding the appeal helps you manage it better.

FFelix R.RegularAug 1

I feel this in my soul. My oldest got sucked into the same games and it was affecting grades too. We ended up setting hard limits on school nights and making homework non negotiable. He fought it at first but came around.

CChris M.RegularJul 31

The homework part is the real issue here. That's where you need to draw the line. Gaming is fine but not when grades are dropping. Maybe link gaming time to completed homework?

GGarrett M.New DadAug 1

Fourteen is prime gaming age. The problem isn't really the games, it's the homework going downhill. I'd sit down with him and set up clear boundaries before it gets worse. Maybe two hours of gaming on school nights and he has to show you homework is done first.

JJasonRegularAug 2

14 is rough because his brain literally thinks gaming is the most important thing ever. Have you tried playing with him? Not as punishment but just to connect on his level? Might open a conversation about balance.