16 year old son playing Xbox all night!

FBaby

I just can't take the stress

And that is the problem. You eldest son was ready to be an adult, your youngest isn't. He still needs some guidance and probably some interaction and attention as much as discipline. It is very stressful and I can totally sympathise that as a single mum working and not in best health, you have little resources left to do it all. See it as the last effort as a mum. Don't waste all the good work you've done with both of them so far by letting it go too early.

Take a breather and make a plan. Tell your son out and talk to him. Say that this staying up all night just can't go on and explain to him the damage it could do. Of course he will deny it and say you are wrong, but deep inside, it will make him think and will see your point. Arrange your days together so that his is structure and include time together. Do set some chores that he has to do, do set some consequences. The internet taken off must be the last resort, if he doesn't adhere to the above. Make it clear that you will stick to it if you need to.

Just remember, your son is going through a lot of changes in his life. You don't become an adult in just one day, it's a process. Some do it quicker than others. Take control again and inforce things. It is exhausting and stressful, but better to go through it all for another few months to see the result than let go now and see your son going downhill quickly and throwing away all the hard work he and you have put in so far. Good luck.

FBaby

Im guessing you avoiding confrontation is something that frustrates your oldest and feeds the youngest

Totally agree with this too.

MoaningMyrtle

Put the xbox in the car when you go to work or your room when you're at home and give to him when he has earnt the privilege?

thorsoak

TAKE THE X BOX AWAY.

At 16 he is old enough to understand that actions = reactions. You have asked him to be more responsible in his use of the x-box- he hasn't been so, therefore I would suggest that you put in writing that he has 1 week in which to change his ways - or the x box goes away (not in the loft - he could climb up there) - it will be locked away (in your car sounds a good idea - I did that with one of my 4's tv when it stayed on all night, long long ago!) .

I hate confrontation too - but you have a responsibility to parent your child - so just go broken record mode "if you can't stay off it, you can't have it" - no discussion, no argument - just walk away. It shouldn't be up to negotiation.

Spendless

You can flick off all upstairs sockets in our house. Is this a quick and simple remedy for now?

I find many teenage boys are permanently glued to their electrical devices (I have a nearly 14yo) and it's for this reason I won't have them in bedrooms. Can it go elsewhere?

Nod_Nolan

If its an Xbox 360 there is an inbuilt timer on the console that enables you to put time limits on a Daily / Weekly Basis.

see http://support.xbox.com/en-GB/xbox-360/security/xbox-live-parental-control

securityguy

Simply take the X Box off him. How hard is this stuff?

Why can't some parents do the simplest things without creating huge dramas? He's being a tool. You need to be a parent.

mossstitchmama

I agree with the previous poster. The Xbox has a timer which you can set to make it switch off after a set number of hours. We have done this with my son's Xbox.

If he is using Xbox live ,can you not switch the broadband connection off? We have had to start doing this as my eldest was playing on her 3 DS or laptop way past bedtime. Unfortunately that stops us using the internet too.

I can sympathise with your medical condition. I have Hashimotos Thyroiditis and suspect I have Fibromyalgia (doctor is dragging his heels with diagnosis).

I hope this can give you some help. Best of luck.

Steve_T.D

I'll be honest in saying i dont see the problem. I'm 29 and have a wife, 3 kids and have held a very good job for 9 years now. Ask me what i was doing between 16 and 18 and i'll tell you it was sleep all day, up all night on the playstation and only leaving the house to play football, go to the pub or go to college on the days i had to.

I think most kids go through this phase. I know my 21 year old brother did as well and now he is a fully qualified mechanic who has been working for the last year since he qualified without a problem and is now looking to buy a house.

For me based on my experience and the experiences of friends i think a lot of males go through this period in their mid to late teens these days and for me it helped me. Its the age to do this and just chill out and bum about before settling down into the adult world, the last swansong of little responsibility.

Relax and dont worry. This phase will pass and trying to ban or stop things will just cause friction that isnt needed. I appreciate not everyone will be the same as me but if he has 9 GCSEs he sounds like he is intelligent and will go on to do well.

custardy

Steve_T.D wrote: »

I'll be honest in saying i dont see the problem. I'm 29 and have a wife, 3 kids and have held a very good job for 9 years now. Ask me what i was doing between 16 and 18 and i'll tell you it was sleep all day, up all night on the playstation and only leaving the house to play football, go to the pub or go to college on the days i had to.

I think most kids go through this phase. I know my 21 year old brother did as well and now he is a fully qualified mechanic who has been working for the last year since he qualified without a problem and is now looking to buy a house.

For me based on my experience and the experiences of friends i think a lot of males go through this period in their mid to late teens these days and for me it helped me. Its the age to do this and just chill out and bum about before settling down into the adult world, the last swansong of little responsibility.

Relax and dont worry. This phase will pass and trying to ban or stop things will just cause friction that isnt needed. I appreciate not everyone will be the same as me but if he has 9 GCSEs he sounds like he is intelligent and will go on to do well.

Op's youngest




:cool:;)