Digital Habits
"Just five more minutes, I'm in the middle of a game."
What to say
Younger kids
"I know stopping in the middle is the worst part. Let's find the place where it lets you stop, and I'll wait with you until you get there."
Middle kids
"I get that leaving mid-match lets your team down, and that's real. So tell me now how long the round actually is, and I'll hold you to that number rather than guessing at it."
Older kids
"You know how long a match takes better than I do, so you set the last one and tell me which one it is. If the number turns out to be made up, then I'm the one picking the time tomorrow."
When five minutes becomes twenty
"That was more than five, and I'm not mad, I just want us both to notice it. The game goes off now, and tomorrow you tell me how long a match really takes before you start one."
What not to say
"Off. Now." with no warning. Most games genuinely cannot be paused, so pulling the plug mid-match makes your kid look bad to their friends, and the fight you get is about that rather than about the time.
Why this matters
The five minutes is often not a stalling tactic, because the game really does not stop when you want it to. Asking for the real length and then holding them to their own number turns it from a nightly argument into something they are responsible for.
Follow-up questions
- "How long is a round, actually?"
- "Is there a point where it lets you leave without it counting against you?"
- "Do you want to pick the last one yourself?"