My son plays video games for 50 hours a week, I don’t mind because he’s a ‘teen genius’

Playing video games is a regular part of the lives of millions of teenagers.

Whether they play with friends or alone, they can often spend hours in front of a screen. 

This can be a concern for many parents, but for mom-of-two Clare, she couldn’t be happier. 

“I don’t mind my son gaming 50 hours a week”

The British mom revealed that her 13-year-old son, Ben, loves playing his Xbox for hours on end. 

In fact, he games for 50 hours a week.

“Every day, Ben comes home from school and plays on his Xbox until bedtime, and he won’t leave his room at the weekend,” she told The Sun UK. 

Her son’s “addiction” to gaming doesn’t faze Clare because “he’s so clever”. 

According to the mom-of-two, her son comes home with consistently great grades, and his teachers adore him. 

“The teachers think the sun shines out of his backside – they’re constantly telling me how clever and lovely he is,” she said. 

Gushing about her son, she goes so far as to refer to him as a “teen genius”. 

The only time he isn’t gaming is when he’s on the football field.

Considered the “star of the squad”, Ben plays three times a week with his local soccer team as a goalie. 

“He’s really fit and healthy but he doesn’t need to be – he’s just catching balls, not running around the field,” Clare told the publication. 

Son “never meets friends outside”

The mom bought her son his first console when he was four years old.

From that moment, he was hooked on gaming. 

Growing up, she had trouble tearing Ben away from the screen, especially during meals. 

“He’d scream and shout at dinnertime when he was made to put down his controller and eat at the table,” she explained. 

Threatened with game bans, he “learned quickly” to listen to his parents’ commands.

“If he doesn’t come down for dinner, I’ll just switch his console off at the wall,” Clare laughed. 

He isn’t alone in his addiction to gaming. “He never meets his friends outside,” she said. “They’re all in their bedrooms chatting away on their gaming headsets.”

She added that she occasionally “sticks [her] head behind the door” to open his curtains and air out the room. “Teenage boys stink!” she laughed. 

While she runs errands, he will stay in his room and continue gaming.

“He’s not interested in spending time with us,” she explained. 

But this isn’t an issue for the mom. “I’m not going to force him outside if he doesn’t want to go,” she added. 

“I know some will call me a bad mother”

Clare understands that critics will disagree with her parenting, but she said that they couldn’t change her mind. 

“I know some people will say it’s unhealthy or I’m a bad mother – but Ben’s so clever and content, why would I change that?” she asserted. 

It’s something she understands other mothers go through, but she believes that her son is superior to the other kids. 

“All the moms I speak to feel the same way, but I’m not sure their kids are doing so well at school,” she confessed. “The difference between them is that Ben is really smart.” 

She added that she “isn’t bothered” by trolls, as she focuses on ensuring her child is happy and “thriving”.

“As long as they’re happy, engaging with you and doing well at school, they’re absolutely fine,” she said. 

“Ben can be anything he wants to be and if he wants to play on his Xbox for days on end, he’s got my blessing.”