Obsession with Gaming and Computers - 9 year old

Hello all

We have a 9 year old boy, funny and bright, however hes becoming more and more reluctant to do anything other than go on his computer / intenet / play station etc. We have tried to limit its use, however, he simply isnt interested in anything else for longer than say half hour and he's an only child so has no siblings to play with.

My worry is that is he will become withdrawn from normaility and his ability to communicate and interact with others will lessen.

He's up at 7am and on a weekend would quite happily sit in front of a screen till bed at 7pm.

I know that this also is not good for his eyes and as he wears headphones, is bad for his ears. My partner (who is his bilogical dad, I am not his birth mum), is frustrated too, and says 'what am I meant to do with him?' when I state that we have to get him off the computer. I dont know what the answer is as he doesnt want to join school clubs (eg football or rugby or cubs), he just wants to play on his computer.

Obviously there is a lot of fuss and tantrums when he do make him come away.

This is just one 'challenge' , he's not doing so well at his mainstream school, his learning falling behind and his teachers telling us they dont know what to do with him, although he has SEN funding. But thats another problem for another post.

Any ideas please?

Thanks

Kathryn

Parents
  • Thank you for your reply. We would never literally force him into anything he didnt want to do, just try suggest other things. Which we do, we just draw a blank. I dont know , I guess I just worry if there are any negative effects of this, as I say, his social skills becoming less and less, perhaps. I dont know...thats my point, I dont know if it's good or bad or neither and just leave him to it. We are surrounded by parents of non autistic children with their views and it's hard to pick out what is 'right' and what isnt, and there is no help in Oxfordshire where we live (to give advice).

Reply
  • Thank you for your reply. We would never literally force him into anything he didnt want to do, just try suggest other things. Which we do, we just draw a blank. I dont know , I guess I just worry if there are any negative effects of this, as I say, his social skills becoming less and less, perhaps. I dont know...thats my point, I dont know if it's good or bad or neither and just leave him to it. We are surrounded by parents of non autistic children with their views and it's hard to pick out what is 'right' and what isnt, and there is no help in Oxfordshire where we live (to give advice).

Children
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