Video games

[Stocker]

I’m in running for worst parent of the year according to my son. He has/had some kind of game where he can play with his friends. Fort nite I think. Anyway, he has become a total asshole arguing with whoever he does and his friends online while playing this goofiness. He’s been grounded basically every week since Christmas. Last night he blew his top, hollering at his cousins about whatever the Game entails. My poor wife flipped out and pulled the plug. He was distraught he was banned from electronics for life +50 years last night.

Today we went fishing, played baseball. He’s a normal kid. Acts right, uses his imagination instead of it being provided on a screen.



Poor kids.

 

[Nick87]

Please don't get me started. Ironically I type this staring at my phone all evening.

 

[Deleted member 52098]

I’m in running for worst parent of the year according to my son. He has/had some kind of game where he can play with his friends. Fort nite I think. Anyway, he has become a total asshole arguing with whoever he does and his friends online while playing this goofiness. He’s been grounded basically every week since Christmas. Last night he blew his top, hollering at his cousins about whatever the Game entails. My poor wife flipped out and pulled the plug. He was distraught he was banned from electronics for life +50 years last night.

Today we went fishing, played baseball. He’s a normal kid. Acts right, uses his imagination instead of it being provided on a screen.



Poor kids.

Don't even get me started bud. My daughter is 8... we can have a perfectly normal day, but give her an iPad - even to watch a movie - and she's testy as can be when we say screen time is over. It's even worse if she is playing a game. We've have to block a few games outright because she got off the game a different person.

But today, we woke up in a freezing cold van near Leadville, went skiing, she fell down a lot and got scared, and yet... she was all smiles / jokes / laughter. Technology makes a lot of our life better, but these kids are growing up way different than we did - and it shows.

 

[CowboyLeroy]

I’m in running for worst parent of the year according to my son. He has/had some kind of game where he can play with his friends. Fort nite I think. Anyway, he has become a total asshole arguing with whoever he does and his friends online while playing this goofiness. He’s been grounded basically every week since Christmas. Last night he blew his top, hollering at his cousins about whatever the Game entails. My poor wife flipped out and pulled the plug. He was distraught he was banned from electronics for life +50 years last night.

Today we went fishing, played baseball. He’s a normal kid. Acts right, uses his imagination instead of it being provided on a screen.



Poor kids.

So which part makes you the worst parent? Did you make him use a cane pole?

 

[220yotekiller]

my kids will never, let me repeat, never ever have a freaking video game. lt's not just kids now ether, some of my coworkers are in their mid 20s early 30s and stupid video games are all they can talk about.

 

[220yotekiller]

I’m in running for worst parent of the year according to my son. He has/had some kind of game where he can play with his friends. Fort nite I think. Anyway, he has become a total asshole arguing with whoever he does and his friends online while playing this goofiness. He’s been grounded basically every week since Christmas. Last night he blew his top, hollering at his cousins about whatever the Game entails. My poor wife flipped out and pulled the plug. He was distraught he was banned from electronics for life +50 years last night.

Today we went fishing, played baseball. He’s a normal kid. Acts right, uses his imagination instead of it being provided on a screen.



Poor kids.

good on you, he will thank you later.

 

[Stocker]

So which part makes you the worst parent? Did you make him use a cane pole?

Oh , no. Apparently you get made fun of for not playing video games now. It’s the true revenge of the nerds.

 

[Dsnow9]

We bought a very nice painting the size of our tv about a year ago now. Put it in front of the tv and haven’t looked back. More game nights and conversations. Technology is great for work, ruins a personal life and connections. Wish I could get rid of my phone.

I tried this am, dropped it in the ocean but found it by some miracle.

As @MtnElk said though. I have a 6 and 2 year old daughter. When we had a tv they were a different person after watching a show or movie. Figured most of that stuff is complete sh!t these days anyways. Best decision we have made.

That was the only tv in our house and we do not use phones or computers for entertainment. This place is the closest I get

 

[golfer]

I wouldn't say your the worst parent, not even close. Growing up all buddies had video games and I always begged to get my own. My parents wouldn't let me. Said if I had so much free time to play video games I had enough time to do something outside more productive. I was not happy about that at the time, but came to realize that I'm glad they didn't let me have them.

 

[WildWill]

Don't even get me started bud. My daughter is 8... we can have a perfectly normal day, but give her an iPad - even to watch a movie - and she's testy as can be when we say screen time is over. It's even worse if she is playing a game. We've have to block a few games outright because she got off the game a different person.

I have a 8 year old boy and 6 year old girl and have seen this exact same thing. I noticed certain shows or games seem to promote over the top or disrespectful behavior. My wife and I have tightened the use a ton mostly ABC mouse and a handful of pre approved shows.

 

[220yotekiller]

uses his imagination

that is huge, the other day l got home and my 6 year old boy met me at the door begging to go play base ball, l told him that we didn't have a ball, he gave me a funny grin and handed me a ball, the little snipe had swiped a piece of quarter inch rope, tied it in knots and made his own ball, we took it outside and had a ton of fun.

 

[Deleted member 52098]

What’s fascinating to me is that it’s not all screen time. For example, when it’s shared screen time - like we are all watching a movie together - no issue. But when its ‘her screen’ like only she is watching a show, or she’s got a game / movie on an iPad, then we have issues. So part of me feels like this stems from both a control issue and also the content of the programming. Some of these shows, the kids are such brats that if they grew up when I did, their mom would need a continuous supply of new brown soap and wooden spoons

 

[Gellar]

We can definitely see a correlation between screen time and attitude with our kids.

 

[TOGIE]

I played a metric chit ton of video games growing up. I think I turned out pretty normal.

I played Skyrim all the way through, for like the 3rd time, plus expansion packs during the first summer of covid. That was awesome.

 

[CowboyLeroy]

Oh , no. Apparently you get made fun of for not playing video games now. It’s the true revenge of the nerds.

We tried our best, and they still won.

 

[gouch]

Had a bunch of the grand kids over last Friday. The three oldest boys and a friend were all sitting in the living room playing some kind of game on their tablets. There was a lot of yelling and bitching and whining going on, but everyone seemed to be enjoying the game. At least they were socializing. It kind of took me back to when I was a kid playing "RISK" with my friends. Damn near got into fist fights over that game but it was sure a nice way of socializing for a couple of hours on a cold winter day. When it came time for two of the boys to go home they all got whiney and pouty because they had to break up the game. My daughter informed them that they didn't have to be in the same room to play, they could spread out all over the world and still play. That didn't help so I informed my daughter that it just isn't the same if you can't yell at each other face to face.

I do understand the irritation of listening to kids playing their video games and the irresistible urge to yell at them to try and make them stop but just think, pretty soon it will warm up outside and you can go sit on the porch and yell at the kids to stay off your lawn instead.

 

[Flatbrimmer]

First off I will say that I too notice the behavioral switch go haywire when trying to cut short the fortnight. I’ve told my kids I don’t like the dialogue, “He killed me, I killed him, Head shot with an AR” etc. I do not allow Fortnite anymore.

I DO allow them to play Minecraft and my 9 year old has built some wicked cool places out of materials he had to “mine” himself. It’s helped him read, it’s helped him have an idea the order of operations in a true construction project, and it is 100% his imagination leading to his creations.

We also play Rocket League. Myself included. You deck out a car or truck with fancy designs and speed boost and use the cars to play soccer, basketball, hockey, and a number of other games. It’s very competitive and takes critical and preemptive thinking.

As stated, I do believe it’s the content of the media, not necessarily just the “screen” causing the drama in our children.

Hit me up on Rocket League!!

 

[Pucky Freak]

I’ve played a lot of video games my whole life…at least until I had 3 kids under age 3 at one time, which curtailed free time of all kinds. As a kid my mom put significant limits on screen time. Homework first, and we also had to go outside and play a lot. Dead of winter it was cards, board games, puzzles, etc. I never objected to the limits or had a bad attitude about the rules, as far as I can recall.

My young kids it’s TV and YouTube Kids that are favorites. Oldest can get whiny when screen time is up but can usually get back on track with a little prompting. My 3-yr old twins have meltdowns when we cut them off the dope, er, Paw Patrol. I’m OK with that behavior at 3…eventually if they don’t outgrow TV meltdowns I have no problem pulling the plug (literally).

 

[Gellar]

I’ve played a lot of video games my whole life…at least until I had 3 kids under age 3 at one time, which curtailed free time of all kinds. As a kid my mom put significant limits on screen time. Homework first, and we also had to go outside and play a lot. Dead of winter it was cards, board games, puzzles, etc. I never objected to the limits or had a bad attitude about the rules, as far as I can recall.

My young kids it’s TV and YouTube Kids that are favorites. Oldest can get whiny when screen time is up but can usually get back on track with a little prompting. My 3-yr old twins have meltdowns when we cut them off the dope, er, Paw Patrol. I’m OK with that behavior at 3…eventually if they don’t outgrow TV meltdowns I have no problem pulling the plug (literally).

I don’t know what it is about those YouTube kids. Both of mine watch shows on YouTube. My daughter watches these families who film everything they do and my son watches kids play with tractors.

Both of the kids have a basement full of toys and a huge yard with sand boxes and swings, etc, etc, etc. My wife works for the toy tractor company that the kids my son watches play with so he has about 4 of every toy they use in their videos.

It will come as no surprise to most on here, I have noticed a lot of the families my daughter watch who video everything and do these stupid challenges are from Utah. It seems Utah is not only the land of hunting influencers, but influencers all together.

Another thing that I have noticed that they all have in common is it seems the parents are using the kids t make these videos. They have figured out they are just an average Joe but if their kid gets famous from YouTube being a kid they will get the spotlight too.

 

[SO7mm]

I’m in running for worst parent of the year according to my son. He has/had some kind of game where he can play with his friends. Fort nite I think. Anyway, he has become a total asshole arguing with whoever he does and his friends online while playing this goofiness. He’s been grounded basically every week since Christmas. Last night he blew his top, hollering at his cousins about whatever the Game entails. My poor wife flipped out and pulled the plug. He was distraught he was banned from electronics for life +50 years last night.

Today we went fishing, played baseball. He’s a normal kid. Acts right, uses his imagination instead of it being provided on a screen.



Poor kids.

Between screen time restrictions, sugar restrictions and making sure they get good sleep, I'm also in the running. My kids are 10 and 13 now and while they don't always agree, they're starting to get why moderation is best. I typically like the games more than just watching the screen as long as they maintain emotional control. As soon as the yelling starts like you described it's off.