Teens and Video Games -- Please Help!

[Anonymous]

I finally broke down and let my husband by my young teenage sons an Xbox. They are A+ students at a fairly demanding school, play musical instruments, etc., and are great children in every way, except that they do not have a lot of hobbies/outside interests. They do not play on sports teams. We are having terrible fights about how much time they should be allowed to spend on the Xbox. They argue that as long as they get great grades, they should be able to use their free time as they see fit. I am concerned that the more time they spend playing video games, the less time they will be forced develop other interests. I suggested a limit of 1/2 hour on school nights, if everything else is done, and 1 hour on weekend days. Does this seem reasonable/unreasonable? Thanks for any advice!

[Anonymous]

reasonable -- don't give in!

[Anonymous]

Our 9 year old is exercise nut, We have a wii. As long as home work is done he can play on it. Some days it will be a
a hour or more. If he was just sitting there with a control in is hand he would be lucky if he got 1/2 hour on it. I think it fine to limit the xbox If they are just sitting.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Do people just not read this particular forum, or do their teenagers not have videogames (my kids were the last among their set to get one, so this can't be the case!), or has everyone just given up on this issue?? I'm surprised no other parents of teens appear to be interested in this topic. It is easy to resrict an elementary school child's use of electronics, by keeping him/her busy with other activities, using a rewards system, or just saying no. It is a lot harder with teens, I am finding (as is most everything else).

[Anonymous]

I am with your sons on this one. If they get good grades, play musical instruments, and they are not involved with sports, what other interests would you like them to develop? It seems to me, in their teens, if other interests or sports were a priority, such things would exist by now. They don't. They have an XBox and want to play it. If there homework is done, grades are good, instruments practiced, chores done, they should get to spend their free time how they want to. Certainly, mom and dad should have veto power over inappropriate games. Certainly, if the XBox is attached to a shared TV, there should be some schedule. Certainly, there should be clear rules about not playing XBox through dinner and not playing XBox when company is over for holiday celebrations, family dinners, etc.

I have a Wii and a Nintendo DS. My kid can play as much as she likes as long as her homework and chores are done before a certain time each day. And then it is time for dinner, bedtime, and reading. I also spent some of the nicest holidays ever by accident. My MIL arrived and fixed her some iced tea and then asked my daughter if she wanted to show her grandmother her new video game on the Wii. My daughter and MIL spent the afternoon downstairs talking and laughing. My daughter showed my MIL how to play Wii. My MIL was in heaven as was my daughter and my husband and I sat upstairs together, talking, and had a glass of wine. It was blissful.

[Anonymous]

I have a teen and a tween and they like to play Xbox 360 all day long but since my oldest son just lowered his grades they just can play one hour on school nights, also now that the we have nice weather they play basketball , soccer and football.