My 9yo comes home from school wanting to jump straight into Minecraft. I'm trying to do homework first but he's legitimately addicted. Started limiting him to 30 mins on weekdays but he fights me every single day. What's working for other parents? Should I just let him have more time on weekends as a trade off?
Set the boundary early or you'll be fighting it forever. I know that sounds harsh but it's true. School stuff first, then screen time. Stick to it and it becomes routine.
My 9yo is the same way. I make a deal: homework and maybe some outside time first, then Minecraft. Some days he forgets about gaming anyway because he's already had fun doing other stuff.
Nine is such a tough age for this because they genuinely feel the addiction even if it's not actual addiction. Time limits work better than bribes in my experience.
Homework first rule is solid, stick with it. We do snack and decompression time first though, then homework, then some screen time as a reward if it's done right.
We do a hard rule: homework first, then gaming. I give my kids like 30-45 minutes after homework is done before dinner prep. The key is being consistent about it. If you let it slide, they'll push back every single day.
Minecraft isn't the worst though. At least there's some creativity in there. I let mine play but I also make sure homework is totally done and he's been outside for a bit. Moderation works.
This is the exact battle I'm fighting right now. My 9yo has the same obsession with Minecraft. What helped us was setting up a visual timer so she can see when her time is up instead of me just yanking the controller.
The homework before gaming rule is the way to go. I make my son do at least 30 minutes of schoolwork first, then he gets his Minecraft time. It's non-negotiable even though he pushes back every single day.
This is tough because they come home wired. My advice would be set clear boundaries upfront about when gaming happens. If homework comes first make that the rule before day one of this becoming an issue.
The homework first rule is the way to go, even if it makes you the bad guy for like 20 minutes. We do 30 minutes of homework then 30 minutes of gaming. It's the only thing that keeps the balance.
Honestly homework has to come before any screen time, period. That's non-negotiable in our house. After he finishes homework and eats dinner, then he gets his gaming window. Makes the whole evening flow better.
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We do a similar thing but honestly I've found that giving him like 15-20 minutes to decompress after school works better than jumping straight into homework. He's fried from being at school all day. Let him chill a bit then tackle the academic stuff.