Dear Mummy Buck, help, I think my son’s addicted to the game Fortnite.

Dear Mummy Buck, help, I think my son’s addicted to the game Fortnite

It’s all he talks about.  If I go anywhere near him while he’s playing he yells at me to get the hell out.

He shouts so loud when playing I’m worried the neighbours will think I’m hurting him, especially when he’s shouting ‘don’t kill me’.

He’s not interested in spending time doing homework, he rushes it.  I don’t know what to do. His attitude stinks.

I’m worried he’ll end up with low grades.  How can I hold my head up high if this happens?

I know I can play the ‘blame game’, but do you think I should ban him?

Please help.

Mrs F. In-Tired

Mummy Buck says:

Addiction’s a strong word.  Almost as strong as the language used when it all goes tits up in the game and its back on the battle bus for the next game.

I prefer the term otherwise–engaged.  It has a much better ring to it.

When I think addiction, I don’t think of my boys and Fortnite, I think of Daddy Buck, where it’s better suited around his commitment to watching a round object being kicked about, often in the wrong direction.  It mostly has the same results as a game of Fortnite, a lot of yelling about shit play and unfairness.

As for attitude and shouting, if I got a pound every time my boy’s shouted at me to get out their room coz ‘they’re in the middle of a game’ I’d be sipping cocktails on a beach in the Maldives dahling.

The problem is us, the parents.  We seem to have that annoying knack off dishing dinner up at the wrong bloody time or shouting out to the kids while they’re deep in battle talks with friends.  This bad timing is not appreciated.

Throw in unwanted words of ‘school & homework’ and you’re asking for a mouthful.  It’s distressing.  We need to understand they’ve been at school ALL DAY they want to be left in peace and quiet to play.  School and homework suck.

I have to agree homework does suck, the headache I get from arguing the toss as to why they need to do it is no fun.

Generally, I always look for a positive, where Fortnite is concerned I believe there are a few.  We can view their playing as building skills in communication, teamwork, strategy & survival – it’s all about being the last man standing.  A goal we could never know the importance of, apparently.

Don’t be like Academic Adams mum, who’ll always find the negative in gaming.  She likes nothing more than to blame any ‘bad behaviour’ on these games.

Options

You could ban him but what then? suggest he join you in some recreational outdoorsy thing or maybe watch a documentary on birds migrating together?

My personal tried and tested favourite is parental blackmail.  It never fails.  No one likes this method, except me but I favour the ‘No Fortnite until your homework is done’ accompanied by the death stare.  It works.

It may be rushed homework, but better rushed than none at all.

If you opt to totally ban him, ask yourself, how much time do you spend looking at screens?  How often are you on your phone? Make sure you have a watertight argument before marching in and unplugging the wifi!

If you ask me, which you have, I’d let him play.  Yes, you may feel a terrible parent, but that moment will pass.  Guilt only tends to crop up again in conversation at the school gates with the ‘Holier than though’ squad’ when you’re busy denying your kids play it for hours on end as they slate the mums allowing their children to play that ghastly game.

Such a shame they believe their children can’t actually differentiate between games and life?

What’s the Pig gotta do with it?

There’ll always be someone with a raised eyebrow ready to question allowing kids overexposure to the dangers of gaming and Peppa Pig.

Yes, that does say Peppa Pig.  I read an article recently, made me laugh, a Mum was prattling on about how Peppa Pig had turned her child into a whingy nightmare of a kid?  She actually blamed Peppa Pig for her daughter’s bad behaviour.

Can we pause here for a boasty Mummy Buck moment?  My kids had that shit going down long before Peppa Pig came on the scene taking the glory!

This woman had balls appearing in a paper, her face un-edited, no shame but lots of blame.  Luckily for her, she didn’t work leaving her ample time to analyse and pick the bones out of episodes such as ‘Mummy Pigs Fun Day at the Fair’, which we all know is bollocks as it has ‘fun’ and ‘fair’ in the title.

Lastly, you could limit screen time encouraging them to swap one screen for another……….errr……. screen, their phone.

Failing that there’s always the bigger screen, the TV, but that’s just full of  Peppa Pig encouraging kids to be little shits.  So maybe just settle for a good old-fashioned read……on a Kindle.

Fortnite every night!

Fortnite is the here and now game.  Its incredibly popular and kids and adults all over are playing.  I don’t play it but I can spot the annoying Fortnite dance a mile off.

As mums, we need to stop stressing over what is acceptable on OTHER PEOPLES terms and use our own initiative, we know our own children and how or even if, gaming will affect them.  

As for me, I let my boys play long hours.  Mostly, end of game time signals arguments over who’s better.  All mine are champions in arguing the toss over nothing, they don’t need a game to get that party started.

While they spend hours playing I use this time wisely and catch up on all the cleaning, ironing, and washing.  Nah, only messing I like to use the time more wisely.

I use it to chill and catch up on Netflix all with no interruptions and no one taking half my chocolate, pure bliss…………..……surely I’m not the only one?