My son wants a gaming laptop and I'm torn. He does okay in school and he's not addicted to his tablet but I worry about gaming becoming too much. What does everyone else allow? Are there any gaming limits you've set that actually worked?
This is the exact situation I'm wrestling with right now. My oldest wants one too and I keep flip flopping. The school performance is good which is what I keep telling myself. What's your gut telling you about it?
This is exactly where I'm at with my kids right now. If he's doing okay in school and not glued to the tablet already, maybe start with a used gaming laptop and set clear boundaries before he even opens it. Way easier to enforce limits upfront than pull back later.
I get the hesitation. My rule is gaming is earned through other stuff first - outdoor time, reading, homework all done. Makes it feel like a privilege instead of just handing over a laptop.
I'd say gaming laptops are different than just a tablet or phone though. At least he's asking for something specific instead of just mindless scrolling. Maybe set some boundaries around it before you get it - like homework first, outdoor time requirements, that kind of thing.
Since he's doing okay in school that's a green light in my book. Just make sure you're checking in on what he's actually doing on there. Not to spy but just to know his world a little better.
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1-2 hours on school nights, more on weekends if grades stay up. That's what we landed on with our kids. The key is making sure he knows it comes with expectations. Also honestly the laptop is less dangerous than a phone in terms of what he can access while you're not looking.