Most summers I give my kids school work to do to prepare for the upcoming school year. This summer I decided to relax their mind and let them have a free summer with just reading. The rules of the summer are you have 2 chores to do daily and you can’t touch your video games until after 2pm. You can play on your video games until 6pm and then we wind down for the night. I haven’t been sticking to that 6pm rule I have let my son play all night long. Last week I decided I needed him to wean him off his video games so that he can get back into school mode….big mistake…this is when I knew my son was addicted to video games.
Kids addicted to video games
Me: Come downstairs and play uno with us
Son: Nah…I’m good
Me: I wasn’t asking…..
Son: ok I’m coming
He never came so I went upstairs after about 15 minutes and unplugged the game…..my gawd…I’ve never seen a 12 year old fall out like a 2 year
Son: Mom why why why did you do that I was getting new skins (fortnite anyone) you are so mean you could have asked me if I was finished. I said I was coming
Me: First of all I don’t have to ask you anything in my house that I pay the bills in. When I tell you to come here I don’t mean on your time I mean on my time
Son: *he is literally crying real tears*
Me: Are you seriously crying over your video games. Great since you are so addicted to them how about we put them up for a few days…make that a week.
Son: *throws me the remote for the games mad as hell*
Me:……………. y’all can think whatever right here but I went all the way off. You can fill in the blanks
After I got him all the way together. I put his games up, his cell phone up, and took his tv out of his room. Now read a book, write, or do something constructive until you aren’t crying over a video game
He came to me after 3 days of no games to apologize and asked if he can please get back on his games. He said he was dying inside and he didn’t know if he could cope without his video games……ahhh since you are so dramatic how about one more day without it.
Are your kids addicted to video games? I spoke about addictions to other things in a post a while back.
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31 Comments
Terri Steffes
July 18, 2018 at 2:07 pmThat popsicle looks divine. I remember the drama of video games, but kids today have it so much worse!
robin rue
July 18, 2018 at 2:12 pmMy youngest is totally addicted to Fortnight (sp?), but I am able to pull him away when we have things to do. He would be on it all day if he could.
Candy
July 18, 2018 at 3:02 pmWhat a good mom you are. I have seen this happen with kids of all ages. You think you just killed them.
Joanna @ Everyday Made Fresh
July 18, 2018 at 3:19 pmMy oldest daughter wasn’t addicted to video games, but her cell phone. She was 17, paying the bill herself, so I couldn’t justify taking it away for too long. However, when she left for boot camp, the phone was mailed back in a box with all her belongings. I’m sure she and hundreds of others had withdrawals. Needless to say, now that she is out of boot camp, and has her phone….she isn’t on it like she was before. Yay!
wendy
July 18, 2018 at 3:47 pmI had that issue too. Sports practices and games really helped as well as being in school all day. However, now they allow technology at school and the phones do it all so it’s a huge battle for teachers to compete with those phones!
Glenda Cates
July 18, 2018 at 4:02 pmMy son was addicted to these only he has switched to YouTube Videos and what he doesn’t know is in one more month all he will be looking up is Videos for school because I am tired of him being online all the time. Although I do have one rule I stick to and that is he has to go outside for at least 30 minutes every day because sitting all day isn’t healthy,
Jenn @ EngineerMommy
July 18, 2018 at 5:30 pmMy kids are too young for video games but they do like to watch videos online. I make sure they stick to age-appropriate things and I make sure it’s all in moderation.
Amber Myers
July 18, 2018 at 6:25 pmOh yeah, my kids are addicted to video games. So long as they go outside and get some Vitamin D and help out around the house, I’m okay with it. But if they give me attitude, I’ll take them away. My daughter currently loves playing Roblox and my son is on his PS4.
Jenn
July 18, 2018 at 6:27 pmI love the look on your son’s face in this photo. It cracks me up. I think a lot of kids his age are addicted to video games. He is totally not alone. Sounds like you’re getting a handle on it.
Leona
July 18, 2018 at 8:28 pmIt’s tough when kids really enjoy playing these video games. I think everything is okay as long as it’s kept within moderation.
Sarah Bailey
July 18, 2018 at 8:47 pmVideo game addictions are most definitely addictive, it is scary what they can do some people. Good luck on working on it with you son!
Lisa
July 18, 2018 at 9:00 pmWe have very strict times for video games and tv. Without them, my kids would sit around and do nothing else all day long. I hate it.
Kim
July 18, 2018 at 11:12 pmMy friend does the same thing to her sons with the games. She will unplug it right when they’re winning, and then she puts the game in her car lol
Joanna
July 19, 2018 at 12:16 amWow, I hope he learned his lesson. My nephews like video games a lot. I try to play board games and cards with them so we can still interact
Pam Wattenbarger
July 19, 2018 at 1:14 amMy son really liked his video games too. We started giving him some responsibilities around the farm. That took a lot of time from the games!
Alyssa from The Sparkly Life
July 19, 2018 at 1:50 amThis sounds a lot like my son. He’s a bit younger than yours but already SUPER obsessed with playing games like Minecraft and Roblox on his ipad. Ugh! Screen time is such a tough issue.
Heather
July 19, 2018 at 3:49 amGood for you! The gaming addiction is real and starts so young now. When we were little, I was allowed to play on my atari or nintendo for like an hour a day. That’s it… and it was after my homework was done and all chores had been done. These days, kids don’t know how to act.
Tasheena
July 19, 2018 at 9:22 amMy son has his moments when he’s addicted to video games. He’s also really active with sports, so I try to keep that in mind as well.
Chubskulit Rose
July 19, 2018 at 10:14 amMy son is into video games but not as addicted or else I would do the same like you did. It would be a hard habit if you don’t break it.
Lori Vachon
July 19, 2018 at 1:11 pmScreen time issues and video obsessions are definitely challenges I didn’t encounter with my eldest children. My younger kids have a different mindset and I have to really focus on making sure they aren’t online too much.
Ola
July 19, 2018 at 4:30 pmWell done Mom! I saw a family come into a restaurant where I was dining this weekend and the father asked the child to sit next to her sister. She looked him square in the eye and said “NO”. He immediately gave in and squeezed into the center spot of the booth next to Mom, while the kid sat on the end. My jaw just dropped. Ugh…I feel so sorry for all the unfortunate people who will have the “pleasure” of being her co-worker one day. LOL!
Tanay
July 19, 2018 at 6:13 pmMy 3 year old is obsessed with that damn tablet and falls out already. Jesus forbid the battery dies. I try to have days where he doesn’t use it at all because I can already foresee the breakdowns when he’s older. It’s hard with technology and these kids today.
Serena Hale
July 19, 2018 at 10:49 pmSometimes as mommas we have make hard choices and unpopular ones but it is always good for them in the end. When he is older he will see it.
Kenya G. Johnson
July 20, 2018 at 12:36 amI’ll be glad when the Fornite phase passes. My son has been gone for two weeks without his Xbox and he said he’s over it. We will see about that. He was playing all day before he left. He wants to get a game he can play with me. As much as I hate video games I can’t say no to this way of bonding. Lawd help me be patient with it.
Christiana
July 20, 2018 at 9:46 amAh! Kids and video games. I still can’t understand the relationship. I believe all of these activities you’ve listed here could help Wear out the addiction.
Carissa
July 20, 2018 at 1:05 pmMy daughter loves her iPad and when we first got it she was always watching YouTube Kids but I realized it was too much when she would totally disregard everything going on in the world around her because she was holding her iPad. I took it away for a while, then when I gave it back to her YouTube anything was gone, its still gone till this day! And I know its still a problem because if she happens to get my phone she goes right to YouTube so she wont be getting it back anytime soon.
Kiwi
July 20, 2018 at 11:41 pmWow he was dying inside without it? Wow he needed a serious video game detox he shouldnt have thrown such a temper tantrum but this new generation of kids dont know how to go outside or be creative to be fun…its sad for them your son isnt alone.
Sheena
July 21, 2018 at 7:07 amMy boys have had a lot of screen time this summer but once things settle down, things will be changing. They love their Kindles.
Anosa Malanga
July 21, 2018 at 1:07 pmI guess this generation is really into internet, video games. Very techie compared to other generations. We just need to teach them the proper use and provide discipline too.
Elle (CleverlyChanging)
July 23, 2018 at 12:19 pmI’ve tried to really reduce my daughters’ screen time. They can become addicted really quick so giving them real other opportunities to have fun makes a huge difference. Your son looks a lot like you, and his expression in the last picture is so you too.
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