Gaming is destroying my relationship with my teenager

May 4·1 min read

My 14yo son gets home from school and goes straight to his room for 3-4 hours of Fortnite. I work until 5:30 and by the time I want to spend time with him he's already deep in it. We're both tired, both frustrated, and I don't know how to reset without starting WW3. Has anyone been through this and actually found a solution that didn't end in screaming?

3 comments176 views

Comments(3)

CChristopherRegularMay 4

I get it man, that's tough. With my three kids I had to learn that meeting them where they are helps more than trying to pull them away. Maybe ask him what's going on in the game or join him for 30 minutes instead of fighting the gaming itself?

VVincent L.RegularMay 4

Single dad here and I've been there. Instead of battling over the controller, I started asking my kid about what he was playing. Turns out that time became our time to talk, just in a different way than I expected.

KKennethNew DadMay 4

Four kids and I learned the hard way that you can't compete with a screen by yourself. What if you made something he actually wants to come down for, like cooking his favorite meal together? Worked better for me than trying to shut down his interests.