Anonymous wrote:My 15 and 13 years olds are obsessed with fortnite, as are all their friends. It started as a couple hours of play time on the weekend and now they are begging to play all the time. They are in a crappy mood when they aren't allowed on (because inevitably there is always a friend "on") and its hard to plan family activities because they see their fortnite time on weekends as playdates with their friends and don't want to miss out. It seems like the harder we push to get them off and set limits, the harder it gets to control. Curious how other parents are dealing with this. Appreciate any insight of what you've found works well for balance at your house. Thanks!

It is "playdate" time for them. My 14yo DS plays too (I have no restrictions on electronics) and thats how teen boys "hang out", especially now that it is freezing outside. As for comeback, apparently Fortnite brought back "original" seasons, so it is fun to play again (nostalgia?), DS has not played that game since 2020 otherwise.
I treat my DS's time on video games with friends as his "social" time and he gets to decide how much of it he wants as long as chores are done and schoolwork is up to date. If family function conflicts with "social" time, we try to find a compromise, sometimes he has to go with us and sometimes he gets to stay home or we work around his schedule.

Boundaries. DS (13) doesn’t play video games during the week. Many of his friends do, but it’s non-negotiable here. As we’ve always said, “Different families make different choices. This is ours.”

He does have unlimited play time on the weekends, though it’s naturally broken up with sports and other commitments.

Finally, don’t be deterred or manipulated by his bad response when you set limits. That’s normal - just like when they were toddlers, tweens/teens don’t like it and act out when they can’t do what they want all the time. But it’s ok for them to be unhappy sometimes. Stay calm and consistent and he’ll adjust to the new normal.

Anonymous wrote:Both of my girls love Fortnite. It’s not just a boys game.

Exactly! My DD14 plays online with girl and guy friends and also has some of each over to play together. Definitely not just a boys game

Now speaking of nostalgia, let's go back to 2016 and do Pokemon Go and get the kids out of the house wandering all over again!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 15 and 13 years olds are obsessed with fortnite, as are all their friends. It started as a couple hours of play time on the weekend and now they are begging to play all the time. They are in a crappy mood when they aren't allowed on (because inevitably there is always a friend "on") and its hard to plan family activities because they see their fortnite time on weekends as playdates with their friends and don't want to miss out. It seems like the harder we push to get them off and set limits, the harder it gets to control. Curious how other parents are dealing with this. Appreciate any insight of what you've found works well for balance at your house. Thanks!

This is easy. Remove the game system from your house.

It's done on computers.

Some kids play on computers. Others play on PlayStation, Xbox or Switch.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 15 and 13 years olds are obsessed with fortnite, as are all their friends. It started as a couple hours of play time on the weekend and now they are begging to play all the time. They are in a crappy mood when they aren't allowed on (because inevitably there is always a friend "on") and its hard to plan family activities because they see their fortnite time on weekends as playdates with their friends and don't want to miss out. It seems like the harder we push to get them off and set limits, the harder it gets to control. Curious how other parents are dealing with this. Appreciate any insight of what you've found works well for balance at your house. Thanks!

This is easy. Remove the game system from your house.

It's done on computers.

So delete it. He only uses the computer in common areas from now on.

Why do you people persist in pretending these things are so difficult?

Yes, he’ll biotch and whine and cry and throw fits. Who cares? Treat an oversized toddler tantrum like any other toddler tantrum.

Anonymous wrote:I set boundaries so there are no surprises. If it’s time to go and he is with a friend, I’ll let him finish up the game in 10-15 min but that’s it. I get a lot of pushback and name calling but I stand firm and don’t engage. Later when he calms down, he apologizes for his behavior. I know it’s an addiction but it’s his only outlet for friends as he changed schools in the middle of the year and has no school friends. I also put him in sports to keep him busy. For us, he is only allowed to play on weekends. He has really bad grades right now so if he wants it during the week, he has to show us he can pull up his grades and keep them up.

“Name calling” of his parent? I’m not an anti-video game parent, but if my kid called me names when I told him to get off, the system would be slapped up on FB Marketplace so fast.