wordsbase: Look Op, don't let people make light of it the issue. It is a serious problem. He is 17 for goodness sake. He's not a Jss1 or even ss1 secondary school student. He is in the university. And he's skipping meals to sit in front of the Tv playing game?

You better take them away from him. Give him responsibilities to occupy his mind with. You don't want him having a twisted life.

you are very right but honestly he will outgrow this stuff, if someone told me 5 years back that I would stop playing PES, I would call that person a liar. The more you grow, the more responsibilities you have which will then divert your attention from less important things

haibe:

you are very right but honestly he will outgrow this stuff, if someone told me 5 years back that I would stop playing PES, I would call that person a liar. The more you grow, the more responsibilities you have which will then divert your attention from less important things

Responsibilities. Correct! But he doesn't seem like one to take on responsibilities on his own especially when they take him away from his game. Unfortunately, his folks don't appear to know how to get about giving him some responsibilities even at home.

slimyem: How Do We Curtail His Football Madness?

This might sound funny but it really is not and its disturbing. It's past obsession and addiction and if there's any deeper substitute name for those two words,it should be called just that.

He is 17 and in his first year in the university. He spent these last 6 months ASUU strike break doing nothing asides sleeping, playing PS ,watching super sports and browsing on everything that has to do with just football.

He can spend the whole day in front of a screen playing football. He doesn't mind skipping breakfast or lunch just to punch pads all day. If he has to listen to news,its sports news. If he picks up a newspaper,its just straight to the sports section. Every other aspect of the news or every other page of the newspaper does not count to him.

I understand its okay to have hobbies the same way I understand one should be able to create a balance between that and lots of other things that make up life.
What makes it the more scary is that he has no knowledge of anything outside football and his field of study. Not even other sports,basic current affairs and even lots of basic general knowledge. You would be amazed at the simplest of questions he cannot answer for his age and level.
He has no views
or opinions about anything outside football nor can he contribute to or discuss any topic that's not football.

The other day I caught him mumbling the words "Is it a penalty?" in his SLEEP!!
...and before,you say talk to him, counsel him,give him other ideas of fun that would be beneficial,be sure that we(his parents inclusive) have done all that.
He doesn't have a personal laptop at the moment and the only reason he doesn't is everyone has fears that 90 percent of what he'll do with it is football.

How can one's life be that streamlined? Is it healthy?
Are we worrying unnecessarily? Will he grow out of it?
Its worrisome.
Your inputs would be appreciated.

Does he have a Gf? Maybe that would work!

Don't listen to those saying he'll get over it oo aunty Yemi..

I had the same problem and I'm still battling with it, I'm in class every now and then and all I'm thinking about is football.

Study him, is he matured in other areas? Is he organized? If yes, he has slim chances of overcoming it.

Have studied football? That game messes with ur mind, u love it with all ur soul. I always see myself kicking a ball throughout Church service.

My advice. Give him a bad scold, withdraw his DSTV activities(my mum just did that, I almost hated her, buh when I remember the havoc football has done to me, I'll jst relax).. Don't neglect the value.

How would having a gf curtail his love for football? It won't. the slightest bit.

Don't forget to put him in ur prayers.. That works too.

Football is life, life is football..... in soccer we trust

adeola_drg: Don't listen to those saying he'll get over it oo aunty Yemi..

I had the same problem and I'm still battling with it, I'm in class every now and then and all I'm thinking about is football.

Study him, is he matured in other areas? Is he organized? If yes, he has slim chances of overcoming it.

Have studied football? That game messes with ur mind, u love it with all ur soul. I always see myself kicking a ball throughout Church service.

My advice. Give him a bad scold, withdraw his DSTV activities(my mum just did that, I almost hated her, buh when I remember the havoc football has done to me, I'll jst relax).. Don't neglect the value.

This your own don turn to infection be that.

Those saying he will grow over it have experienced it and are talking from experience, so don't think they don't know what they are saying.

I guess your own case is extraordinary

Na wao for this kind question oh

haibe:

This your own don turn to infection be that.

Those saying he will grow over it have experienced it and are talking from experience, so don't think they don't know what they are saying.

I guess your own case is extraordinary

Na so.. Extraordinary or ordinary, it can be curbed.. Buh must be very early..

Pls dnt listen 2 those sayin he wil outgrow this cos he wont, c'mon dis guy myt nt even knw d gov of his state or even d president of dis country, all those sayin they were addicted were nt addicted 2 this level, if wot u described is true den it's indeed c'rioz cos am yet 2 c or hear of sm1 dis addicted nd b'live me i've seen my fair share of addicts. Even if he does outgrow dis stage its goin 2 affect him 4 d rest of his lyf, socially, physically, academically mentally nd otherwise. Imagine a 25yr old hu lacks communicatn skills, a social awkward hu is totally unorganised. IMO use of d rod wil only worsen d situatn, he wil resent d disciplinarian witout d problem been solved, because of teenage rebellion he may device oda means of indulgin in his object of obsesn, my advice is dat u gently nudge him out of dis situatn by placin more responsibility on him witout tryin 2 deny him his object of obsesn e.g let him learn a trade or handiwork 2 keep him busy durin d day, dnt let him idle around d hauz nd he myt jus snap out of it, remember 2 pray 4 him cos notin is impossibl wit God! Gudluck!

This works like magic .
The alpha male should lock him in a room from 6am to 6pm with the PS , 2 working pads, electricity and all his game cds inside one room.
(with bed and furniture of course + food served at the right time.)
Then tell him to go and die playing PS
By 6pm, when u unlock him, he will walk out a different man.
This also works for several other addictions.

My sister, there is absolutely no need to be worried.. At 17 in the university first year Engineering and I assume in a fed university shows he is interested in his books also. For him to have seen the need to take study seriously and make university immediately after finishing secondary school shows he is still on the straight right path. At that age most kids that are addicted to football games don't even care about jamb and admission until they turn 23 and start seeing need to be a graduate when they see their college mates in nysc uniform.

He will outgrow the obsession and ASUU must have contributed to u pressing the panic button.

Just try talking him into other interest. Family members should try taking him out about an hour to an upcoming game of his favourite club to reduce yearnings and thirst for soccer matches. Many more measures can be taken as the spirit leads.

He will outgrow it.
I was like him, mine was actually not the issue of playing game. It was an issue of watching and playing.
I really didn't enjoying watching like playing. I liked doing the playing and not just watching a match.
My dad and the other members of the family did all they can but it didnt help the situation.

I was beaten severally at different times even once on my birthday but it didn't cure the addiction.

My dad had to transfer me to a school closer to the house so dat they can monitor me but that still didn't work.

There was a time it seem I stopped playing and everybody in the house was glad but I resumed dsame day Super Eagle won a major match and I heard my elder brother said 'he has just renewed his license'

The truth is all their gra gra didn't help in anyway. I just couldn't help it but play when I see people playing football even when I was in the university.

Thank to deliverer John Terry, champion league match btw Man united and Chelsea. He just needed to score the last penalty and myself and others would hv set the whole university on fire but somehow he lost the penalty.

I almost died dat night, I could feel pain at the left side of my chest and I sudden realised dat my own was actually bcoming too much. Dat was how I stop watching and playing. I only follow the result of every match now and the outcome doesn't affect me in anyway because there are beta things to bother myself abt now..

Keep talking to him and if u feel there is anyway he can commercialise it, help him but if not, he will eventually let go when he begins to face the realities of life.

This case pass my own ooo...

Thank God I have never, I do not and I will never give a flying squirrel's as$ about soccer....
It's cool to have hobbies and interests though. He may not be vast in general knowledge, but that doesn't mean he won't make it in life.

Boys like football. I spend whole weekend watching super sports with BBC, CNN, sky news and aljazeera at intervals. But playing computer games? No he should relax on that. Its as extraordinarily addictive as cigarette and hemp

Acidosis:

A 17 year old pupil is still liable to recieve some 'strokes'. Undergraduate or not, it doesn't change a thing.
Atleast we've heard of such incidence @ Babcock, Covenant University & UNILORIN.

If his Lecturers can spank the h*ll outta him, why can't I?

guy UNILORIN nor dey beat oh abi where u dey get ur info from. Be careful oh and get your facts right

Nkan nbè!!! It can be witchcraft....on the otherhand i was once like him when i am of that age playstation 2 almost finish my life.

Ma'am I worse pass this ur brother oh! Lol, seriously mine started as early as primary 4 it never left me even till nw buh the thing is when u re grown there re sum things u just wont fancy. anymore,,sister don't worry ur self bout ur lil dude he'll surely grow up like I did..

bulksms12: How e take pass jamb?post ume?I smell lies

gbam!!!!!!!!! the same question na him just dey ring for my mind..:

The 17yrs old lad needs to wake up...before its too late...first year in university is when you. CAn decide what grade to finish with. I bet you...he is worse in school than home because he can play in school teams...he can go out to play games and he can argue and argue abt premierships...the effect is he would be academically poor and soon start wondering why he is even in a university...here is my solution... Get him a friend in s hool that reads like mad...let the friend read with him...tell him that if he makes an A in his maths and physics courses...you will get him a fine soccer boot. His love for soccer will make him read to get an A. Next time..promise a great jersey...and so on...till he begins to get used to reading that he needs no more soccer related motivation

There is nothing to wory about,he'll out grow it.its jst dat stage of his life wen fixation is taking place

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STOP FEEDING HIM!!!

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OP, you just have a smart boy in the cards. Its good when kids have identifiable hobbies. You can then streamline their activities by giving them extra chores so as to distract them a little. He is spending the best part of his youth until he grows to fend for himself. These moments shall be his good old days.

tchigofigo: u guys shld jst get im a girlfrnd 4 a start..,wn he gets laid once, he'l b wiser..,or wait til he is on probation in skul due to excess C/Os, no b persn go tel am to wise up

for your mind you don give advice be that.

he will out grow it, but might be addictive to something else...

mine was worse than that, am a die hard chelsea fan... but gave it up after we lost to barcelona ( i mean iniesta's goal SEMI FINAL)... four days i couldn't eat just because we lost out... Now i can hardly sit and watch a football match for 10 mins, but i can play scrabble for 48hrs....

Does he have a girlfriend?

@op i do understand wat ur brothar is undergoing personally i owned a gameshop wia men and boys meet to have fun all day. i started it when i am just 22 nd now am 27 n still playing. to b candid with u when we start that madnes my girlfriend will come around because d whole thing has goten hold of me, n i am d one that invited her to my place bt i wil ask her to go n wait for me i wil forget abt her inside ny rum n b playing d game she wil send for me n i continue to procastinate til she wil get tired n leave n i wilstil b d one to go n beg huh wat a life.
but as time go on i bgin to strike a balance because d boy bgin to have a responsibility to attain. so its a matter of time he wil get use to responsibility n d madnes wil reduce

Olutola88: Does he have a girlfriend?

yes, her name is PS

faakay: He's still a kid... with time he will get over it with time.

I used to be like him, I can't do without playing video games when I was 14-17, like to read sport news but not as addicted as he was.

I play games every day, played with my breakfast and lunch money, could play all day back then.

Finally bought one but when it came to a stage I just stop and I didn't know why.

I can't even remember the last time I played a game...I'm too busy for that, when he's get to a stage he will definately stop, don't worry too much about it. he's healthy but just a football freak

u said not addicted as u were? U said u could spend a whole day playin, skipped breakfast.. Bro, measurin wit my own scale, u were more addicted to video game than d poor teen.

hardeyincah: he will out grow it, but might be addictive to something else...

mine was worse than that, am a die hard chelsea fan... but gave it up after we lost to barcelona ( i mean iniesta's goal SEMI FINAL)... four days i couldn't eat just because we lost out... Now i can hardly sit and watch a football match for 10 mins, but i can play scrabble for 48hrs....

u are addicted to scrabble? Am also a scrabble addict. Ppl believe dat I ve swallowed dico. Bro, lookin forward to play with u. What is ur best point ever played?

Yes you have said it all.Its a phase thing because with time he will surely outgrown that.I was a typical example to the extant that i even don't eat when my darling team lose games.But when responsibilities came i realized that i don't even have enough time to patronize that as usual again.So with time he will narrow his direction to something more profitable unless he is a prospective footballer but from the post he is not but rather a lover of football.So don't let that worry you because sooner than later he will face reality.

ikeno: To me I see it as a PHASE in his life. When he start to av responsibility his main priority will be how to make money.

I av game consoles but I hardly play them except when am very less busy.