[Closed] Restricting Fortnite?

What format is he playing on?

Switch the router off?

I"m no expert but i believe with BT broadband you can log onto the admin section of the router and restrict certain devices so they can only connect between two specific time points. Might be a quick fix to give them a window each day to tinternet...

For Android tablets/phones you can download family link app and control screentime limits bedtimes etc and all app downloads get sent to you for approval first. No idea on the gaming I just turn the Xbox off!

As djambo says:

It'll be something like http://192.168.1.254

If it helps, my 10-yr old stopped playing it and now just spends his evenings out and about causing trouble. This is a good thing, right?

Depends how he is playing.

I play Fortnite on the iPad and with iOS devices you can set them up with children's accounts and then restrict access to apps via Screen Time on the adult's device. You also get reports on what they are doing etc.

We do this for my daughter's iPhone.

But it's not really an issue for Fortnite specifically because usually we are playing that together anyway as she's a total default 🙂 But it does help control her YouTube addiction.

Probably easier to do it at device level. PC is easy with Win10 and screen time, you can set it for total amount of time or set times (or both), the exact same system will also control Xbox’s

iOS devices have screen time controls

I’m sure Sony / Android decides will do the same.

Key is usually to set up proper kid accounts for them in the first place.

(Also Season 8 literally just started today. So if he was specifically a bit of a pain tonight then that's why. Lots of new stuff and trying to get ahead of his mates early on).

Fortnite is so yesterday,

It’s all about Apex:Legends now.

Stick Momo in the game.

my 10-yr old stopped playing it and now just spends his evenings out and about causing trouble. This is a good thing, right?

Darn right that's a good thing.

Cheers all.

Ipad mainly.

"oi, turn that off NOW!" Works here. Any debate on that, I'll throw it in the bin.

Dam right Weeksy. You're the parent op, not the tech.

Any debate on that, I’ll throw it in the bin.

Kirsty?

we tell our kids they can play for an hour before dinner.

Then it is switched off , or it literally is off to bed with no pudding!

discipline in action!

Same here. We as adults decide on how long they have screen for. I turn off WiFi if they don't comply.
It's a constant battle though.
Worth the effort.

change the wifi password weekly, which is unlocked after they complete certain tasks. It's like computer games come to life.

Harry turn that off now, why, because I said so. And that's to an ever increasing in size 14 year old.

As above, with BT Broadband you can set it so that it will refuse access to whatever device he's playing on at the time of your choosing. I'd recommend at least an hour before bedtime if you're happy for him to play in the evening. Tell him upfront why you are doing it.

But make sure you change the admin password on the router otherwise he'll just head in and adjust the settings.

We've never given our kids (6&9) access to screens, apart from some TV and using Spotify on a very old tablet to choose music in the home kitchen.

They know the score, but I'm very aware that their mates - many from toddler age - have had their own devices and (now that they're older) play games like Fortnite. For balance, some of their other mates still play with wooden toys and nowt else!

I don't really know what the next steps are for us, but these sorts of threads do make me think that we have an opportunity to learn from others before we give our kids wider access to screens.

I always question what people are trying to prevent or avert with limiting 'screentime'.

Like whats the alternative? Playing with physical toys? Why are physical toys better than digital?

I'm being genuine here. I'd love to hear why parents dread screen time so much.

(Disclaimer: I had access to a computer with games like Doom and Quake from a young age - I used to play with my Dad lots but also had my own computer. I played with Lego and other things too, I guess. But yeah.)

I’m being genuine here. I’d love to hear why parents dread screen time so much.

My take on it would be the avoidance of forming of the habit 'becoming a lazy bastard on a couch'. I have no idea of the benefits or otherwise of the actual screen staring, nor do I plan to research it, but inactivity is a known killer.

I always question what people are trying to prevent or avert with limiting ‘screentime’.

The longer that my youngest one plays Fortnite, the more wired and agitated he becomes. We can hear him shouting into his headset from the other side of the house.

10 year olds often lack the self awareness to realise that they’re not actually enjoying the game any more and it’s actually overstimulating them and properly  stressing them out.

That’s where the parental control steps in.

It’s also a handy substitute for a well deserved clip round the lughole that modern society has deemed “not cool”

My take on it would be the avoidance of forming of the habit ‘becoming a lazy bastard on a couch’. I have no idea of the benefits or otherwise of the actual screen staring, nor do I plan to research it, but inactivity is a known killer.

A bit like spending hours on a forum?

/Walks dog.

I have an 18 year old that turns up the temper when the router goes off.

Doesn't like it, but the noise out of his room stops us sleeping. Thing is, he doesn't get up for college, so would have no chance if we didn't restrict internet after certain times.

My take on it would be the avoidance of forming of the habit ‘becoming a lazy bastard on a couch’.

Yeah I mean - I get that, but the thread is talking about 10 year old kids, right? So unless you've got an adventure course in your living room, or happy to have your 10 year old running around in the street... it's not like reading a book or playing with a non-digital toy is any more physically demanding, right?

The longer that my youngest one plays Fortnite, the more wired and agitated he becomes. We can hear him shouting into his headset from the other side of the house.

10 year olds often lack the self awareness to realise that they’re not actually enjoying the game any more and it’s actually overstimulating them and properly stressing them out.

That’s where the parental control steps in.

This is more interesting and makes a completely valid argument, thanks. I wonder at what age we develop enough to understand if we are enjoying something or if we're just being stressed out.

As an avid online video game player (not Fortnite though, for the record) I thank you for taking your child out the game once he reaches the point of becoming toxic toward other players (re: shouting into the mic). I wish adults had the self control to do the same...

I always question what people are trying to prevent or avert with limiting ‘screentime’.

Like whats the alternative? Playing with physical toys? Why are physical toys better than digital?

I’m being genuine here. I’d love to hear why parents dread screen time so much.

We're just taking things slowly - letting other parents go first with screen time and then trying to learn from their experiences.

We don't seem to get many posts on this forum about trying to restrict kids' playing outside time or about the downsides of Lego.

Don't you have any adults in the house? How do you go about enforcing bedtime or eating their vegetables?

I always question what people are trying to prevent or avert with limiting ‘screentime’.

Like whats the alternative? Playing with physical toys? Why are physical toys better than digital?

Me too.

I think perhaps there's two sides to this. One is that it's the latest demon, like watching TV was when I was a kid. The other is that any hobby - be that iPads or TV or playing football - can become problematic when it's taken to obsessive levels at the exclusion of everything else. If you're restricting access for the latter reason then fair enough, the former not so much.

We don’t seem to get many posts on this forum about trying to restrict kids’ playing outside time or about the downsides of Lego.

A mate of mine's daughter is a complete bookworm, given the chance she'll spend every waking moment buried in a book to a point where she was becoming isolated and insular, barely interacting with family and friends. He's had to restrict her "book time," not because books are bad mmkay but because it was taking over her life.

it’s not like reading a book or playing with a non-digital toy is any more physically demanding, right?

No but finding something else to do is mentally stimulating in itself. My 12yo, given half a chance would do nothing other than stare at their phone. We're pretty relaxed/generous with the amount of screen time we allow, but it's becoming more obvious that the minute it's switched off she's bored and can't even think of an alternative activity.

I've been looking at the google wifi routers - as you can set times / disable access for certain devices without having to do any network stuff... Would mean i would not have to mess with all my other network stuff for work.

We have clear rules on the amount of time they can use there tablets etc... and if they don't respect those, they don't get them back for a while. I've no problems not giving them pudding if they don't behave.

The little one just watches YouTube all evening

Like whats the alternative? Playing with physical toys? Why are physical toys better than digital?

I pressume that's not a serious question? 😉 The firehoze/sewer that is youtube with unlimited access vs. Lego, Action Man and Barbie? I don't know about you, but when I was younger, play was a lot more imaginative than passively wayching a screen. Hence reading books encourages imagination, wheras watching limits it.

For access, router normally has a time on and time off. You can't carry things across. Set it to 90 minutes a day and it's betweem XX:00 and YY:00. Those are the rule - till they get a 20GB data contract. Or just unplug it.

I wrote this on the same subject a couple of years ago, though TBH the entire thread is probably worth a read if you've got screen-obsessed kids, there's some good points raised on both sides of the argument.

https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/digital-addiction/page/2/#post-8064699

Like whats the alternative? Playing with physical toys? Why are physical toys better than digital?

I’m being genuine here. I’d love to hear why parents dread screen time so much.

The main aspect that worries me as a parent is who they're connected to - with a Lego set in their bedroom it's clear they're on their own, but when you've got an internet connected phone/tablet it could be anyone on the other end. Although I have to say I'm not particularly worried about the big-bad-paedo, it's more about potential bullying / school related problems.

That said, we've been pretty active about educating the kids about possible risks, and so far we haven't had any real problems. They're both pretty responsible, and know that homework/exams come first, and if they end up using the phone in their bedroom until late at night they're the ones that are going to be tired the next day...

I wonder at what age we develop enough to understand if we are enjoying something or if we’re just being stressed out.

Based on some recent threads , this realisation never happens to some people no matter how old they are.

On topic question-
I have microsoft account which my eldest uses so his X-box progress is on my account. I want to change it so he has his own account (to limit screentime etc) but in order to do that without loosing his progress, I think I have to change mine to a child one with maybe a new adult account in charge of it.
Any ideas if this is how to go about it best?

I don’t know about you, but when I was younger, play was a lot more imaginative than passively wayching a screen.

Have you ever seen the sort of thing kids are doing with Minecraft?

Set it to 90 minutes a day and it’s betweem XX:00 and YY:00.

Your childhood imaginative play doesn't appear to have done much for your maths... (-:

I have microsoft account which my eldest uses so his X-box progress is on my account. I want to change it so he has his own account (to limit screentime etc) but in order to do that without loosing his progress, I think I have to change mine to a child one with maybe a new adult account in charge of it.
Any ideas if this is how to go about it best?

You can create family accounts, there's a KB article explaining this in detail on the xbox.com website. As for transferring progress, try using the online chat support thing on the website, see what MS have to say. They're very helpful IME.

It might be simpler just to create yourself a new account and downgrade your old one as you say (you probably don't want to nobble your account first...!) but that would depend on what else you've got tied into it.

I don’t know about you, but when I was younger, play was a lot more imaginative than passively wayching a screen. Hence reading books encourages imagination, wheras watching limits it.

This is the kind of opinion I'd challenge strongly. Especially with video games. The Minecraft example is a great one, but there's actually a fair bit of science that supports the idea that videogames are very stimulating for the brain in different ways than books - they aid and nurture critical thinking, for example.

The kind of 'back in my day' thinking I think is regressive - the claim that somehow books are the height of brain/intellectual stimulation is fairly narrow and baseless. What kind of book is a 10 year old going to be reading, anyway?

What Plyphon says. We need to move on from thinking video games are harmful, they're not in moderation just like most other things.

What kind of book is a 10 year old going to be reading, anyway?

David Walliams, Ian Livingstone, Deathtrap Dungeon type things 🙂

I don't have any issues at all with my lad playing X-box. Fortnite his his favourite, Apex Legends too. But when i tell him to stop, it's right now, here and now... end of...

Problem I have is that the junior crack that Fortnite is, unlike say Fifa there are no obvious breaks / countdowns / endings. Kids are crap at self governance so if you tell them 'five minutes' then at the end of five/ten/however many minutes they won't walk away and then it'll be 'just doing this, just got to get there, just got to get killed, just found a massive gun' bollocks that means confrontation as you insist or enforce that time is up. Ours has just been giving us a hard time related I believe to us getting tough on self-governance so for this weekend and probably into next week, there are just a collection of wires where the Xbox normally is. No pudding.

Problem I have is that the junior crack that Fortnite is, unlike say Fifa there are no obvious breaks / countdowns / endings.

Except when they get wiped, the round ends, searching for a lobby and waiting for the round to start.

The kind of ‘back in my day’ thinking I think is regressive – the claim that somehow books are the height of brain/intellectual stimulation is fairly narrow and baseless

For me it's more of an "everything in moderation" viewpoint. No problem with having a day binging on Xbox/Instagram/Barbara Cartland novels/whatever-floats-your-boat, but when it's all day every day on the same thing it becomes a problem.

unlike say Fifa

Say what now?

Kids are crap at self governance so if you tell them ‘five minutes’ then at the end of five/ten/however many minutes they won’t walk away and then it’ll be ‘just doing this, just got to get there, just got to get killed, just found a massive gun’ bollocks that means confrontation as you insist or enforce that time is up.

Xboxes have power buttons. Give them, say, a ten minute warning to finish whatever bit they're doing and not start anything else. Ten minutes later, "no," *click*.

Mate of mine's dad used to just throw the circuit breaker when it was bedtime. No confrontations as he wasn't even in the room.

My son has been devious enough to tether his gaming PC to his phone to bypass the router.

The main issue we have is noise - he's into car racing sims and his force feedback steering wheel get up is loud, so it's off when we go to bed as we are up at 6am (make that 5am when the cat's demand feeding).

My new BT Smarthub 2 (hub 7) has arrived with 'mesh' repeaters so I've got that to sort over the weekend.

We only insist on bed at a reasonable time. My daughter is no trouble (nearly 16). My son then start's playing, I'm an adult, but we say, behave like one then. He's late into college most days (we've already left for work hours before he gets up).

The new BT HUB2 has an app, rather than logging in via a web browser, and it gives you fast access to 'suspend' internet etc. Although, my wife has been known to unplug the hub and shove it in the car boot when she goes to work.

Except when they get wiped, the round ends, searching for a lobby and waiting for the round to start.

But I have to wait for that. Fifa has a timer, Forza has laps/challenges/destinations. Whenever I come into the room when Fortnite's on it's just someone in a daft suit swinging an axe, dangling from a glider or shooting at a tree. I swear I never see Fortnite 'not doing anything'.

Xboxes have power buttons. Give them, say, a ten minute warning to finish whatever bit they’re doing and not start anything else. Ten minutes later, “no,” *click*.

Mate of mine’s dad used to just throw the circuit breaker when it was bedtime. No confrontations as he wasn’t even in the room.

I aint scared of throwing the switches (xbox power button, router, downstairs ring main) as necessary but despite warnings and countdowns the point is it results in unacceptable levels of confrontation and anger so this weekend I'll take the anger up front by removing the ****ing thing.

The Xbox parental controls are a pain in the hoop to set up initially but are excellent once they’re up and running. You can restrict acess to individual 30 min slots during the day and can also set a maximum  amount of gameplay during each day.

You can also allow or block individual games all from your phone/ tablet.

It also tells the kids how long they have left and gives them countdown notifications to manage their expectations.

Xboxes have power buttons. Give them, say, a ten minute warning to finish whatever bit they’re doing and not start anything else. Ten minutes later, “no,” *click*.

The problem with that is the two hours of tears and snotters and tantrums which follow.

It’s not a viable long term solution for managing the situation.

The trick is to avoid taking stuff away from them but instead reframe it in the perspective of having preset limits which are not going to change.

I think perhaps there’s two sides to this. One is that it’s the latest demon, like watching TV was when I was a kid.

Sorry to drag this through from page 1, but there is a big and important difference here. When we were kids all we had was TV, and all the tv had was 4 channels. Kids TV started at 3 and finished at 5pm. That was it. After that the only thing you could watch was the news. This is the point that as kids we all got off the couch and went and played outside.

Don’t you have any adults in the house? How do you go about enforcing bedtime or eating their vegetables?

Too weak for Fortnite?

(can you see what I did with the word sounds there? Can you? eh?)

How did this get past one reply?

Be a parent FFS!

But I have to wait for that.

Hence giving them a warning first. How long's a typical Fortnight match last?

As a kid if my folks had just walked in and unceremoniously pulled the power on me I'd have lost the plot, at least give me chance to save my game or whatever. With a bit of warning, I'd have gone "fair enough."

Find the threat of turning it off at the socket, with the risk of them losing their saved game position (data?) makes them listen and works well.

Consistency in applying rues helps to but as with most parenting it's difficult when you’re tired/busy/want a quiet life. Ours ‘earn’ screen time by getting their homework done, helping out etc but are quick to jump on any signs that we are likely to bend the rules.

Fortnite has a timer too it’s a main part of the gameplay. When you see them with pick axes and guns it does not mean he’s still playing, he could be watching the last few. No matter because even if he is paying why tell him to stop.

This is the point that as kids we all got off the couch and went and played outside.

... which is what I said on the first page. So long as they're doing other stuff as well it's not a problem. This whole "30 minutes screen time" notion is draconian and ludicrous. It's 2019, video gaming isn't going to go away any more than television or rock & roll or whatever the Rotting Kids' Brains Du Jour was when we were young.

If kids are obsessing, what are you offering as an alternative? Books, TV, Lego, take them out for a bike ride? Or just going "don't do that" and expecting them to stare at the wall for six hours?

With a bit of warning, I’d have gone “fair enough.”

And here’s the tricksy bit.

I have three kids. The oldest one would go “ fair enough “ as you described.

The middle one would have already turned it off when asked the first time.

The youngest one would spend the next two hours raging against the injustice of the world, possibly  with a bit of property damage thrown in

Not all kids are the same and they’re rarely rational

If they were, parenting would be a lot easier than it actually is.

This is the point that as kids we all got off the couch and went and played outside.

Whhhyyyyyyy don’t you?

This whole “30 minutes screen time” notion is draconian and ludicrous

It really isn’t though.

Ours get a slot from 4:30 ( to make sure that they aren’t pissing about on the xbox when they should be doing their homework) till 6:00 ( which is dinner time.)

Then another slot from 7:00 ( to give them time to do their chores) to 10:00 ( to make sure they stop and go to bed)

If this didn’t happen then everyone’s evening would be considerably more chaotic and stressful.

… which is what I said on the first page. So long as they’re doing other stuff as well it’s not a problem. This whole “30 minutes screen time” notion is draconian and ludicrous. It’s 2019, video gaming isn’t going to go away any more than television or rock & roll or whatever the Rotting Kids’ Brains Du Jour was when we were young.
If kids are obsessing, what are you offering as an alternative? Books, TV, Lego, take them out for a bike ride? Or just going “don’t do that” and expecting them to stare at the wall for six hours?

Sorry, what I meant was as kids we didn't have the opportunity to sit all evening in front of a screen. Its very different now, Im not saying screen time is bad per se, but the opportunity to spend 24 hours a day doing something "on screen" is here. It wasn't when we were kids.

The Xbox parental controls are a pain in the hoop to set up initially but are excellent once they’re up and running.

Thanks Perchy. Never felt the need until now. Will give em a go.

I’m being genuine here. I’d love to hear why parents dread screen time so much.

For us there's a few things:

- a game like fortnite has had a team of hundreds trying to make it as addictive add possible, full time work for a few years. They succeeded. If I didn't restrict, the kids would be on 24/7.
- digital games get two of our three quite agitated. One in particular. Come and meet him before and after an hour on screen. Jekyll. Hyde.

- if they're not on screen, they do other things. Like read books. Trampoline. Ride bikes. Dungeons and Dragons with friends. Socialise through board games, Lego or similar. They draw pictures. All these things develop in then stuff that a computer game cannot. Gaming is sedentary, and it (and other things) is building a generation who will have huge health issues later in life. As basic as - every foot strike as a child under 16 (when running, jumping, walking etc) develops thicker and stronger bones. We have research in Scotland that many bone and related joint issues are through our current generation of parents having not had enough physical movement. Imagine what they're kids are going to be like.

This was the cartoon that Scotland's chief medical officer opened a speech with to a group of teachers and educators.

Consistently being shit at upholding rules is the real issue. Kids learn adults weaknesses very quickly.
Telling someone in your house to stop doing something isn't even parenting.

The making a timetable approach is laughable

Not all kids are the same and they’re rarely rational

I blame the parents.

Ours get a slot from 4:30 ( to make sure that they aren’t pissing about on the xbox when they should be doing their homework) till 6:00 ( which is dinner time.)

Then another slot from 7:00 ( to give them time to do their chores) to 10:00 ( to make sure they stop and go to bed)

That's not 30 minutes then, is it? 😝

When our kids were little we gave them their screen time in 30 minute 'tickets' we used to give them 3 old Train tickets each that they could use at any time of the day but there was no more, and they got tickets removed for bad behaviour.

It's evolved now after about 5/6 years that they only get 2 30 minute slots, we all still call them tickets even though the train tickets are long gone. But it's habit to them now and they get it.

No use to the op, but that's my top top tip for those with kids just starting out.

Wait a minute.

You had 4 channels? Well check out Mr Fancypants.

We has 3 and a gaming console.

– if they’re not on screen, they do other things. Like read books. Trampoline. Ride bikes. Dungeons and Dragons with friends. Socialise through board games, Lego or similar. They draw pictures. All these things develop in then stuff that a computer game cannot.

Like what?

Video games can be as creative as Lego (see Minecraft). They can be just as social as D&D or board games, either local multiplayer or online with friends. Sure, not all games are like that, but the notion that you believe board games develop something that video games "cannot" just makes me think you haven't played a video game since Pac-Man.

Gaming is sedentary, and it (and other things) is building a generation who will have huge health issues later in life. [etc]

But most of the alternatives you've listed there are sedentary too. How much exercise does a kid get reading a book?

My lad isnt all that fussed about xbox anymore, still plays it but he knows when he's had enough. So now he's into clothes and wants to spend hundreds££ on Stone Island clobber, oh how I long for those days when all he bothered about was vbucks :/

We had 3 and a gaming console.

You had a gaming console? Well check you out 😉

Yes we did and a Grandstand.

Telling someone in your house to stop doing something isn’t even parenting

what's that then ?

I’ve got the parental controls set up on our Xboxes and the kids iPads so they have a screen time ration per day, with a cutoff at 6:30pm, and it’s up to them how they use it.

The Fortnite conversation with my lad was pretty short

“Dad, can I have Fortnite, all my mates play it”
“Fortnite is a 12 rated game, how old are you?”
“9”
“What do you think then?”

Some of things he builds in Minecraft are bloody amazing though, and I regard that as simply a modern version of the many hours I spent with Lego as a kid.

Like whats the alternative? Playing with physical toys? Why are physical toys better than digital?

I’m being genuine here. I’d love to hear why parents dread screen time so much.

Like other people have said above, it's about balance, and trying to avoid kids spending all their spare time on one activity. Screen entertainment tends to give more immediate gratification than other pastimes, so it can be easy for kids to spend most of their time on screens, to the exclusion of other things.
Physical toys demand a whole range of skills that digital toys don't require. You can build incredibly complex Minecraft structures, but that won't teach you how to fix a wobbly Lego wall. Acquiring the patience and concentration required to read a book is a useful skill in its own right. You don't tend to see too many hyper book readers.
Screen entertainment can be great fun, but I don't think it's a replacement for all the other indoor things kids can do.

Telling someone in your house to stop doing something isn’t even parenting

Do you have to ask Tarquin for permission to stop playing or he gets no Croquembouche?

what’s that then ?

Instilling basic respect for your wishes in your own home weeksy.
Pass it on...
it works outside of the home too

WTF is tarquin Drac?

Fortnite is actually being played on MY PS4 right now. By my 9yr old. (PEGI guidelines are nonsense BTW. Actually play games yourself and you'll realise this very quickly)
When I want it to stop I'll simply ask for the current game to be the last before switching it off.
Fortnite will then be turned off.
We'll probably play a game of PES together later.

She's a goalie. a pretty good one. trains 2 or 3 times a week. and plays after school with mates a lot. Goalie's have a slightly different perspective on outfield play to an outfield player (that and being nutters). PES actually helps with her understanding of positioning and strategy when playing football for real. I actually love wendyball but don't ever watch games (on TV) and find it a pretty good way of explaining the game to her without having to travel miles and pay a fortune to see good players/matches and listen to idiots shouting.

Minecraft as Cougar says is creativeAF.

Youtube also gives brilliant ideas for creativity. and for kids can be a bit like getting watching WHY DON'T YOU" or "Blue Peter" in the 70s and thinking about all the cool stuff they showed you and getting out and doing it yourself.

When I want it to stop I’ll simply ask for the current game to be the last before switching it off.

Yes I that’s the same as telling.

When I want it to stop I’ll simply ask for the current game to be the last before switching it off.

What if she says no?

What if she says yes and then just carries on playing anyway?