child who just don't care

[jeannie400]

I have a 6 year old grandson( he ,his father and 8 yr. old brother live with me) this 6 year old just has NO interest in anything other that TV and video games.
No interest in school, playing outside,food nothing. He comes home from school and says he got in trouble for what ever but, says he doesn't care. He doesn't care if he gets in trouble, if he gets grounded he just doesn't care. Even his father has mentioned it is hard to buy a birthday or Christmas gift for him as he just doesn't really like anything other than video games and DVD's.

I am just at a loss as to how to get this little boy interested in something anything.

Thanks for any suggestions.

[stephtn07]

Hi, I feel your pain, I have been where you are....with my son, now 12, almost 13.  But anyhow, we found that giving him little tasks, outdoors, with his father seemed to be encouraging.  As the little tasks are implemented maybe once a week, and your grandson, maybe even with another person,a person he respects, he could learn to see things our world has to offer.  With each task, make sure that it takes a little longer each time, like go from small tasks, to harder, then harder tasks.  My son has ADD, and was fixating on the playstation2 for years, but then last year we seen him changing slowly, being more outgoing and interested in being outdoors more and more.  What a relief, I thought this child was going to be an addict....he did get advised that their was people that had gotten addicted to games, and that they never had a reality of life around them.

My son says that he is now thankful that his situation has changed, that now looking back his life was a total wreck, addicted to the games secluded his attention to competition out of reality, and that he didn't see the real world around him, he refused to help out his dad on the farm, and then he was reluctant to do any chores, and we had to argue with him to even go to town with us, as a family.  Trust me we were frustrated in him, then he thankfully seen the life around him, and is enjoying being more outward than ever now.  He doesn't reluctantly do chores, now he is happy to be helpful.

But, I can tell you that, this may be a sign of other things, that even though he may be showing signs of addiction to these games and television, it very well could be an underlying problem, such as ADD...not ADHD.  We found a great pediatrician who was actually suffering from ADD as well, and he  advised us that things like the playstation and TV should be limited, we slowly did abide his advise, and hour by hour limited the use of these things, and now my son, is to be limited to one hour of tv and playstation per day.  The limits must be consitant l think, and then see how soon he finally gets to being bored, then whiny, then he will probally get defiant, but in time, he will go outdoors, when he gets overwhelmingly bored, kids will explore other alternatives, trust me.