Internet addiction specifically Minecraft

[bethben]

Our ds has been working with a therapist for depression and will be tested for possible ASD (autism spectrum).  He is addicted to minecraft.  We have allowed him 1 1/2 hours per the therapist recommendations but it's getting beyond that.  We have changed the router login and have not told him the code.  We thought we had hidden every device in the house - old and new.  He snuck into our room and found a router plug for his non-wifi enabled computer in our basement.  We found that and hid it again.  He recently went into his older brother's room and took a device that he was using for music.  Ds then went on wifi through a neighbor's open guest wifi.  We don't know who the neighbor is.  We have a couple of streets that back up to ours - lots of house - think 30 houses or so.  It's gotten to the point we are going to buy a safe to keep every device not being used and every device we currently use locked inside.  He will stay up watching minecraft until he basically falls asleep who knows how early in the morning.  It's affecting and controlling his life.  The youtube guy is probably in his mind his best friend.

 

What do we do?!?!?  Minecraft is his only outlet due to social anxiety that goes with his ASD possibility.  He doesn't engage in every activity we've tried with him.  DH is spending huge amounts of time with him doing physical exercise outside and playing games with him.  He's addicted.  What do we do?!?!?  Our feeling is to just start to restrict his internet activity but the therapist feels that adds to depression which only shows up when we take that activity away.  We haven't medicated him because when he sleeps, he is a happy kid from what we can see.  We need need need to stop this.

[Lecka]

I haven't read it; but I know the Temple Grandin book The Loving Push has a section about internet addiction, and it got good reviews. Maybe it would be helpful?

[bethben]

Provide him other mental stimulation.

 

Perhaps he would like to have his own small business or learn a musical instrument

 

We tried the musical instrument thing.  He played guitar for three years.  He lost interest and didn't want to do it anymore.  We had told him that he had to do it for three years and then he could stop if he wished.  He wanted to stop even when we told him he wouldn't have to do recitals.  He does need other mental stimulation.  He's bucked us on everything.  He's 13 so it's hard to bring a sullen teen to activities he doesn't want to do.

[meganrussell]

Maybe you could take a device free vacation - it doesn't have to be expensive, but somewhere he will be busy doing fun things. Everyone should be device free for this time. It could be going to a cabin in the woods or just going to Grandma's house. Keep him active mentally and physically. Chop wood, go fishing or hunting, build something, hike through the woods, go camping, play board games, etc. Don't even talk about devices or internet for at least a week. Once he goes this long without Minecraft, it may be easier to regulate time limits.

 

If it were my son, I would not allow him any time on it if he could not regulate or be honest. Sneaking around and finding ways to play Minecraft is not acceptable. I would get rid of whatever devices he had or put them in the safe or something for a long time. I would be very involved in his life and keep him busy and talking.

 

I've not been in this situation though, so I don't know if my advice is helpful.

 

Eta: If you feel you should restrict internet activity, do it. An addiction this young in life is not a good thing. Don't be a crutch for it.

Edited December 4, 2017 by meganrussell

[Arcadia]

Do you know which aspect of Minecraft he is addicted/drawn to?

For example my younger boy like the chat function in Minecraft until he saw how mean people were, then the allure of chatting was reduced to typing nonsense to his brother.

My kids watched Minecraft videos on YouTube many years ago but there was way too much swearing (worse than Gordon Ramsay) so they watch those videos in silent mode with no closed captions. After a while the videos were boring so they stopped watching Minecraft videos. My younger boy watch this French guy cooking videos now daily before bed, he goes through something new then get bored and move on.

The attacking part of Minecraft is available in many “war†games so while attractive as a stress reliever to blow up buildings in Minecraft, my kids also play similar stress relieving actions in games like fruit ninja for example.

 

My younger boy does get suck into internet in general because of the social aspect but the danger aspect is sinking in now that he is older. As in he understands that there are people who exploit people on the internet, and people may have dubious intentions on chat.

Edited December 4, 2017 by Arcadia

[bethben]

We may have to medicate him for depression if we take away all internet activity.  It has happened in the past.  It would take a trip to a psychologist which will take a while since they are hard to get appointments for.  We live in the suburbs.  Think very small yard. Granparent's houses are 1000 miles away.  It is not acceptable for him to sneak and lie - hence it being an addiction.  We don't like it, but it's in a way medicating depression.  There are some cautions with medication due to family history so we really don't want to go that direction unless we have to.

[bethben]

Do you know which aspect of Minecraft he is addicted/drawn to?

For example my younger boy like the chat function in Minecraft until he saw how mean people were, then the allure of chatting was reduced to typing nonsense to his brother.

My kids watched Minecraft videos on YouTube many years ago but there was way too much swearing (worse than Gordon Ramsay) so they watch those videos in silent mode with no closed captions. After a while the videos were boring so they stopped watching Minecraft videos. My younger boy watch this French guy cooking videos now daily before bed, he goes through something new then get bored and move on.

The attacking part of Minecraft is available in many “war†games so while attractive as a stress reliever to blow up buildings in Minecraft, my kids also play similar stress relieving actions in games like fruit ninja for example.

 

My younger boy does get suck into internet in general because of the social aspect but the danger aspect is sinking in now that he is older. As in he understands that there are people who exploit people on the internet, and people may have dubious intentions on chat.

 

I think the main addiction part is the guy who posts video about how he plays minecraft and builds/creates worlds.  That is what he will stay up all night watching.  The game itself is starting to bore him a little.  He loves building structures and creating.  It's hard to get that in the real world when we would love him to build things live, but have looked and looked for outlets for that to no avail.  Every public school has more than enough kids in the school in robotics clubs or any other club that could prove interesting. They simply don't have room for homeschooled students.  He's 13.  

Edited December 4, 2017 by bethben

[bethben]

That’s so tricky! He sounds crafty and resourceful, which are great powers when turned for good ;). But I have absolutely no advice on how to get you from point a to point b on that, you’re already doing everything I’d recommend. Maybe an immersive activity like acting or scouts? Or even something like geocaching? It’s tough because he is young and you have LOTS of other things on your plate though. I’m not sure any of these wouldn’t stress you out more.

 

Yup.  Added to this is the near appointment that my oldest has coming up to the orthopedic surgeon to look at every aspect below his waist.  I am truly fearful we have a major major surgery coming up.  And then add to the plate my dd who is showing physical signs of stress in her public school and we're trying to figure out how to support her....I am about ready to cry like a baby.  We take away Minecraft and his world crashes.  Like severe depression crashes.  We have no good ideas of what to replace it with.  We need a plan.  

Edited December 4, 2017 by bethben

[fairfarmhand]

Why not building a model railroad in the basement? Those are very intricate worlds. 

[Arcadia]

He loves building structures and creating. It's hard to get that in the real world when we would love him to build things live, but have looked and looked for outlets for that to no avail.

I would look for mentors or internships in the trades. I have an aunt who apprentice in a small family owned watch shop as a teen. The owner taught her how to repair old mechanical watches and paid her whatever wages they could afford.

My kids like our local Makerspace which is free and drop-in, and run by high school volunteers.

Another outlet my kids have is the Lego User Group. The local LUG doesn’t have many formal activities listed but the adults host informal Lego building play dates for families at their homes.

Edited December 4, 2017 by Arcadia

[mathnerd]

He seems very creative - try to divert his interest into something "useful" so that the time he spends on online on computers is not completely on youtube watching minecraft videos. Get him a Lego MindStorm Robotics kit and assign him projects that he can complete as part of your curriculum. There are books with projects on amazon for this purpose and websites with instruction.

Get him started on Python and Java programming. If you don't have access to classes locally, there are online classes for these subjects and they assign homework on a weekly basis. 

 

He needs a lot more physical activity on a daily basis to break his addiction. In addition to what your DH is doing with him, can you also enroll him in a good martial arts school? The programs in such a school are designed to help teens get physical exercise, develop self control and helps them get their mind off the internet for a while each day. It is an individual sport and it is a healthy outlet and will help him sleep well, give him goals to achieve (each color belt) and help with depression.

[bethben]

Can you manage the Minecraft after surgery and just float it right now? 

 

We may have to.  The rest of the school year is going to be dictated by what my oldest has to have happen right now.  I HATE it.  We gave ds an iPod because we wanted to help him learn how to manage technology as he got older.  So, we've discovered he can't manage it right now.

[bethben]

He seems very creative - try to divert his interest into something "useful" so that the time he spends on online on computers is not completely on youtube watching minecraft videos. Get him a Lego MindStorm Robotics kit and assign him projects that he can complete as part of your curriculum. There are books with projects on amazon for this purpose and websites with instruction.

Get him started on Python and Java programming. If you don't have access to classes locally, there are online classes for these subjects and they assign homework on a weekly basis. 

 

He needs a lot more physical activity on a daily basis to break his addiction. In addition to what your DH is doing with him, can you also enroll him in a good martial arts school? The programs in such a school are designed to help teens get physical exercise, develop self control and helps them get their mind off the internet for a while each day. It is an individual sport and it is a healthy outlet and will help him sleep well, give him goals to achieve (each color belt) and help with depression.

 

He doesn't want to learn computer programming.  I would have to force him.  We tried martial arts, but a child who isn't interested in it makes for a frustrated instructor.  we may have to revisit that plan.

[Liz CA]

That’s so tricky! He sounds crafty and resourceful, which are great powers when turned for good ;). But I have absolutely no advice on how to get you from point a to point b on that, you’re already doing everything I’d recommend. Maybe an immersive activity like acting or scouts? Or even something like geocaching? It’s tough because he is young and you have LOTS of other things on your plate though. I’m not sure any of these wouldn’t stress you out more.

 

I was going to suggest you check what scouts programs are available.

 

And hugs, gaming addictions are rather prevalent these days. You did the right thing by connecting him with a therapist. There will be setbacks; it's a little like 3 steps forward and 2 steps back (sometimes more). It's a process, don't let it discourage you.

Since he is 13, would he like a more advanced and challenging building project like Knex used to offer? I am not knowledgeable anymore on who sells the good stuff but someone here can jump in with that info. 

Does he have friends or a friend with whom he could start activities other than gaming? Any sports that interest him? The goal here is pretty much to find something that will capture his attention and be as "rewarding" to him as gaming is. This is also a process - meaning finding an alternative activity may take a while to become as interesting to him as gaming is right now. His dopamine pathway likely gets excited when he is gaming - but you can retrain the brain.

[plansrme]

I can't recommend the book Glow Kids  strongly enough.  There is a how-to chapter on detoxing from an internet addiction, not to mention chapters on how it can cause or aggravate spectrum-like symptoms.

Edited December 4, 2017 by plansrme

[Peaceseeker]

NM double post

Edited December 5, 2017 by CaliforniaDreaming

[Peaceseeker]

Maybe figure out how to lock everything down where he can't have access outside designated times and then tie the gaming time to a reward? Also, having it at a specific time each day may help if your schedule permits that. Can you tie the game time to physical exercise or outside activities? Like 1/2 hour gaming per hour of exercise or hour of an outside activity? Or maybe points he could accumulate to use more game time on specific days? Like if he does the martial arts 3 hours per week he gets a couple of extra hours on the weekend or when you are up to your ears in doctors appointments?

 

My kids went through a phase where they were more interested in watching You Tube stars talk about playing Mine craft than actually playing it. It drove my husband and I bonkers! It did finally wind down, although they still watch one occasionally. Super annoying phase!

[Ravin]

It sounds like he's not playing minecraft, but watching videos about it?

 

I would probably work with him on an agreed upon solution. He's more likely to go along if he has a say in the planning to deal with the issue. I'd probably start with focusing on your concerns about him not getting good sleep/putting down the tech for bedtime.

 

 

[bethben]

I think we may give him a choice of physical activities.  We have some good ones around here.  So far, I have martial arts and bouldering.  In the meantime, we may have to taper off the addiction rather than going cold turkey and locking stuff up (if I can find everything... he's sneaky - always has been).  The problem is in that he sneaks whatever technology we have in the house and does it at night.  The device he stole from his brother had a cracked screen and his brother only used it for music when he was skateboarding.  I have found everything else and we'll have to get rid of the old devices.  

[Innisfree]

Given the ASD element, I might take a different approach.

 

It sounds like the Minecraft videos are filling a need for him. If he's like my ASD kid, then it will be very hard (practically impossible) to get him out of that mental track and onto something else. Also, the videos are helping him cope with the world. You can see that, right, based on your description? He gets depressed without it, he's happier with it. That has value.

 

If he were not abusing your trust and staying up all night, would Minecraft videos be a problem?

 

If it were my kid, especially given everything else going on in your life, and given the fact that accommodations are to be expected, I would not remove the devices or the Minecraft time entirely. I *would* have a serious talk with him about reasonable limits, and then I'd take the devices away for 24 hours for any infraction. Let him experience their absence for short, manageable doses, without the threat of completely losing an important support.

 

Then, I'd slowly work on cultivating other interests. It's really a given that he has few interests and those are strong and intense, right? If you try to change that completely and abruptly, you're working against his entire nature. No wonder it makes him depressed. I'd aim for slow change. Ideas based on his Minecraft interest, like others have given, are a good idea. Would he be interested in making videos himself? Moderating a server?

 

Good luck; I know it's hard.

[Innisfree]

I think we may give him a choice of physical activities. We have some good ones around here. So far, I have martial arts and bouldering. In the meantime, we may have to taper off the addiction rather than going cold turkey and locking stuff up (if I can find everything... he's sneaky - always has been). The problem is in that he sneaks whatever technology we have in the house and does it at night. The device he stole from his brother had a cracked screen and his brother only used it for music when he was skateboarding. I have found everything else and we'll have to get rid of the old devices.

Can you get parental controls on all the devices? Qustudio has helped limit time here.

[Ravin]

Bethben, why not focus on positive changes instead of setting this up as a major battle of wills that requires the entire family to change the way they do things? It's hardly fair to your other children or the adults in the house.

[bethben]

Given the ASD element, I might take a different approach.

 

It sounds like the Minecraft videos are filling a need for him. If he's like my ASD kid, then it will be very hard (practically impossible) to get him out of that mental track and onto something else. Also, the videos are helping him cope with the world. You can see that, right, based on your description? He gets depressed without it, he's happier with it. That has value.

 

If he were not abusing your trust and staying up all night, would Minecraft videos be a problem?

 

 

 

Yes, they are helping him navigate the world a bit.  He is reaching out to friends on email trying to get them to play with him which is huge.  We have given him 1 1/2 hours to play Minecraft which he could choose to spend all or some of it watching videos if he chose.  The only rule was that he had to be on the same floor as someone else so we could monitor his internet activity.  He violated that rule when he snuck the internet stick for his non-wifi connected tower.  This is a true addiction and I feel like we have to start tapering it a bit but only if he has some outside interests/activities.  This sneaking thing has been ongoing since last school year.  We've tried quite a bit to remedy this.  

[Innisfree]

Yes, they are helping him navigate the world a bit. He is reaching out to friends on email trying to get them to play with him which is huge. We have given him 1 1/2 hours to play Minecraft which he could choose to spend all or some of it watching videos if he chose. The only rule was that he had to be on the same floor as someone else so we could monitor his internet activity. He violated that rule when he snuck the internet stick for his non-wifi connected tower. This is a true addiction and I feel like we have to start tapering it a bit but only if he has some outside interests/activities. This sneaking thing has been ongoing since last school year. We've tried quite a bit to remedy this.

Yes, I agree the sneaking is a problem.

 

The Qustudio has worked for us because we can set it up so the device simply won't function at whatever times of the day we specify. I don't have to wrangle the Kindle away from an angry kid; it just stops.

[bethben]

Yes, I agree the sneaking is a problem.

 

The Qustudio has worked for us because we can set it up so the device simply won't function at whatever times of the day we specify. I don't have to wrangle the Kindle away from an angry kid; it just stops.

Every device we use has codes on them that he doesn’t know. Good codes. He is fine with the limits we have given him and doesn’t complain when time is done. The problem is that he is finding old devices or is now sneaking into his brother’s room to get his old devices that don’t have passcodes on them. We can’t monitor what we don’t know about. He keeps finding new ways to sneak this...it’s annoying.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Miss Tick]

You have a lot of great suggestions, but it sounds like the tricky part would be making them acceptable to him. Probably they can't come as suggestions from you. Does he have a close enough relationship with the therapist that the therapist could make suggestions?

 

Otherwise, could he "earn" computer time with trying out an activity? ½ hour of activity earns 1½ hours computer time? With a very, slowly increasing scale of difficulty, like after one month you have to do this without complaint, one month later you have to choose one additional one to try, etc. etc. See how it goes.

[vonfirmath]

Maybe you could take a device free vacation - it doesn't have to be expensive, but somewhere he will be busy doing fun things. Everyone should be device free for this time. It could be going to a cabin in the woods or just going to Grandma's house. Keep him active mentally and physically. Chop wood, go fishing or hunting, build something, hike through the woods, go camping, play board games, etc. Don't even talk about devices or internet for at least a week. Once he goes this long without Minecraft, it may be easier to regulate time limits.

 

If it were my son, I would not allow him any time on it if he could not regulate or be honest. Sneaking around and finding ways to play Minecraft is not acceptable. I would get rid of whatever devices he had or put them in the safe or something for a long time. I would be very involved in his life and keep him busy and talking.

 

I've not been in this situation though, so I don't know if my advice is helpful.

 

Eta: If you feel you should restrict internet activity, do it. An addiction this young in life is not a good thing. Don't be a crutch for it.

 

This doesn't sound like playing Minecraft. It sound like he is addicted to watching Minecraft videos.

[Cindy in FL.]

He may not complain, but he obviously isn’t fine with the limits if he is sneaking to get more time.

 

Every device we use has codes on them that he doesn’t know. Good codes. He is fine with the limits we have given him and doesn’t complain when time is done. The problem is that he is finding old devices or is now sneaking into his brother’s room to get his old devices that don’t have passcodes on them. We can’t monitor what we don’t know about. He keeps finding new ways to sneak this...it’s annoying.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Night Elf]

My Aspie has held different interests over the years but when he's into something, he lives and breathes it. I've actually heard the term obsession related to Aspergers. I'm amazed he's only getting 1.5 hours a day of it. My Aspie would have melted down completely if he couldn't follow his interest. When it was Legos, he spent hours a day building. He has outgrown that obsession and is into watching video gaming sessions. He used to play games a lot but he lost interest in playing them and now enjoys watching others play. He's 21 though so I don't dictate his time. He held a job for over a year and managed his time well. Now he's not working so he's going back to watching too much again. However, I've finally gotten him into counseling so hopefully we can resolve the job issue and hope he finds another job. But I will tell you that he did say he didn't like working because it took time away from what he'd rather be doing. He thrives on his leisure time and believes people who work and have families don't get enough of it.

 

I'd ask him to think of some other activities that would be interesting to him. For my ds, he went through a phase where he loved logic games like Rush Hour and jigsaw puzzles. He didn't give up his main interest but he made time to pursue these other interests. 

[freesia]

I have a son who I would classify as easily addicted to screens.  He has a set amount of time that he can be online before he starts acting like an addict.  If he gets more than one hour a day of youtube/social media/surfing/gaming time he starts acting like an addict--sneaking, lying, etc.  Less than that and he is okay.  (He can do online class type work and word processing though, it's the fast paced searching, action part that is like a dopamine rush).  I read Reset Your Child's Brain this summer. It was excellent and mind opening about how screens can be overstimulating to the nervous system and how some kids can't take much.  You might want to read it and see if it helps.

 

We cut down on screen time because of signs of depression in our house and it make a huge/remarkable difference. That was our counselor's recommendation.  I do hear what others are saying about ASD kids and maybe they are right.  But I think ASD kids are more sensitive to the effects of the screen and don't need more, but less.  I think depression is the normal first response to having an addicting agent taken away.  The first 3 days with my son are awful (we've had to pull back a couple of times).  But after that he is so relaxed and social and happy.

 

 

[kroe1]

There is no way I could play Minecraft in just 1 1/2 hours a day, especially if I was into the building aspect. There is just so much to do and be creative with. If your son is trying to build his dreams, then I am not so sure that is addiction, but, rather an outlet for artistic expression. On the other hand, if all he is doing is walking around killing zombies, then that is problematic. If he has regular cyber friends he is playing with, then that just might be his favorite way to socialize. Again, I am not sure this would be addiction any more than a bunch of women sitting around the Country Club all day chit chatting.

 

I know you are dealing with additional issues, but, gaming, in itself is not an addiction. It is not a matter of time playing, but, rather what one is doing during that time. Does your son ever play other games? Is he willing to expand his gaming by broadcasting, developing a server, etc.? While breaking into the money making side of gaming is tough, it can be done. And for a teenager, this is much better than working at the local McDonalds.

 

I agree with those above who said replace his time with something else. But, just saying to someone stop what you are doing for fun and sit on the couch and figure out something else to do, would never work. You should have planned activities that your son is not allowed to opt out of.

 

While this doesn’t work for everyone, we never had video game time limits at our house. We are all gamers. If we have a weekend off, almost never, it is conceivable we will be playing solid for 72 hours. We have a gaming room with big reclining gaming chairs, and multiple game systems all set up in one area. But, I always made my kiddos play one sport and one instrument. Since those activities were away from the house, by default, that limited the amount of gaming time.

 

Good luck to you guys.

[Mergath]

With stuff like this, it's so hard to find the line between interest and addiction, and to know whether that line needs to be drawn in the first place.

 

I'll use my dh as an example. He's bipolar. When he gets depressed, he uses World of Warcraft to cope. Which is fine, until he's playing for eighteen hours a day on his days off, hardly sleeping, and not interacting with his family. I'm fine with him using it as a tool to help cope with his mental illness, but when the net negative effects start to weigh the net positive effects, it crosses the line from interest to addiction. Or if there was stuff I knew my dh really wanted to do, but he just couldn't leave the computer for long enough because the withdrawal was so bad, that was a problem too.

 

If your ds is legitimately happy, if his depression/anxiety is debilitating and playing Minecraft is literally the only thing that will make him happy right now and there isn't anything else he would want to do, I would just let it go for now. But if he wants to get out and do other things, if you know he'd be happier doing other things but the screen addiction is getting in the way, then it's time to step in and do something.

 

In that case, I think cold turkey is the way to go. Some of those games really are like crack, and if you have a little you want more. My dh had to take a complete computer break until the withdrawal passed, and now he's okay with playing a couple hours a day and spending the rest of his free time with us.

[nixpix5]

When it is a true addiction I recommend cut cold turkey. It is like telling an alcoholic to only have one glass of wine per night. Dopamine works in the same way with video game addiction. It is painful in the interim but in the long run so much better for him.

[SparklyUnicorn]

I guess I wonder if this is really a problem.  Is it that you just don't like the situation, or is he suffering mentally/physically in some way?

 

I have one kid very into gaming, computers, youtube, etc.  For awhile I worried about it.  I would have limits and he'd sneak extra time.  I decided to just stop with limits to see what would happen.  Yes, he does spend a lot of time with it, but he does well with his school work and he takes care of his responsibilities.  He has also branched out and turned his passions into real learning.  He taught himself programming languages, started making his own videos, found clubs filled with people who have similar interest (that he meets up with).  So I think it has turned out just fine.

 

Of course you know your kid better than I do.  Just throwing another perspective out there. 

[Ausmumof3]

I've had some struggles with my 11 year old over this. I did end up pulling the plug for a week and it seemed to give the reset he needed. I'll be much quicker to pull it next time if there's problems I think. All the kids are currently on an hour a day which seems to work.

 

ASD stuff may possibly warrant a different approach. With past obsessions have they eventually run the course? It may be that he needs to fully immerse in it for a while then he'll lose interest? I don't know so much about that side of things.

 

For what it's worth the issue for us was not managing other responsibilities reasonably. I'd tell him he needed to do chores or start school and he wouldn't even realise I was speaking to him. I understand this as I have trouble with transitions when I'm reading too but it was getting beyond unacceptable.

Edited December 4, 2017 by Ausmumof3

[bethben]

His obsession is messing with his day to day life, his time with his dad, his relationship with me, and his school.  It's an addiction that is probably fueled a bit by mild ASD that we don't have diagnosed yet, but is only a suspicion right now.

[SparklyUnicorn]

To be fair, ASD could "mess with" relationships. 

 

 

[bethben]

Basically, when he's found out a way to sneak it, he watches stuff literally all night.  Last night his brother needed a drink of water at 2 am and noticed he was up watching youtube video.  He had get up to be at a homeschool co-op at 6:30.  He had 4 1/2 hours of sleep.  When he sneaks, he stays up into the night.  He has no off switch.  So, the latest episode was probably a week of getting less than 5 hours of sleep a night.  Last time it happened, he had a month of staying up into the early morning.  It was to the point I took him to the doctor the last big stretch thinking something was wrong because he was falling asleep during the day all the time.  The lack of sleep affects his ability to have energy to do anything.  This is what is affecting every part of his life mostly.  He's plain tired.  This issue is easily going on 8 months where he's not getting bored with it.  We're starting to get drastic in how our house is set up.  If he gets a decent night's sleep, he's a happy kid.  Otherwise, he's just moody.

[MamaBearTeacher]

Could he watch movies instead for a while?