So im in year 12 of the UK education system which means i have to take exams in the summer of 2027 to get into uni so i study around 2 hours on normal school days and i rarely play any games as im not allowed to. But at the start of 2025 my mother said i would be allowed to play 2 hours on sundays. But ive slowly lost interest in playing as time has gone on and rarely even played during the summer because my mother works from home and has online meetings which she takes in the living room and she works till the night so i rarely had time to play. i played around maybe 10 hours in total in the summer because of this.
As its winter break now i thought it would be a nice time to play a board game with her as i rarely get to spend time with her. i asked her in the morning and she said i shouldnt be thinking about playing games so i went and studying for 4ish hours as any other day during the break. But when i saw she was free i asked her if she wanted to play now which she then responded with "Go and study first you havent studyed all day" this wasnt true but i sucked it in as it was understandable for her not to believe me as she was busy all day and didnt see me.
Fast forward 1 hour and i come back and see her sleeping on the sofa and i saw she got woken up when i walked in so i asked if she still wanted to play which she responded with no. i was disappointed and turned on my ps5 to play elden ring as i never get time to play so i havent beat it yet eventhough i got the game 2 years ago. 15 minutes later she woke up and get really annoyed saying i didnt study. when i did but she fell asleep and as punishment for my actions she wasnt going to play the board game with me. I can play sometimes on my switch 2 but i only have a handful of games from the original switch and i already beat them and if i get caught its game over for me. Now im not allowed to play my ps5 for the whole winter break. AITA or should i try convince her again to let me play
NTA, no offense but your mom sucks. Does she know how many parents of teenagers would kill for their kids to ask to play a board game with them? Studying is important but it’s not everything and you have plenty of time to prepare.
NTA, What a controlling parent try to gently explain a winter break is called winter break for a reason as it sounds like anything will set things worse and you just wanted to spend time with your mom its a stupid situation
The main problem is that i study during the day and when shes free in the evening she wants to see me studying so by the time thats done i dont get to spend time with her because my dad gets home and he watches whatever he wants on the tv which is understandable coz he must be tired from work but by then the day is over and rinse and repeat the next day. Hopefully christmas day will be different
NTAH i hope during college you get more free time to yourself to enjoy your hobbies, life isn’t just about studying. Take time to enjoy the things you like doing, or you will get super burnt out. Your mum’s an ass ngl
NTA. You were just trying to spend time with your mom and then unwind a bit. studying hard all day and playing a little isn’t a crime. Sounds like a miscommunication turned into a weird punishment. Maybe just explain calmly that you did study and wanted some chill time. it’s fair.
NTA. Honestly, if you are studying 2-4 hours per day, you are entitled to play PS5 for a while every day, also.
Heck, I am 54 years old and I like to unwind with my PS4 for an hour or two every night. As long as I am caught up on my grading and planning (I teach math to 12-year-olds), I think my free time is well-earned.
Your mom is probably using your studying as a way to keep you out of her hair and on the right track so that she can rest and you can succeed, (although I can’t imagine her WFH lifestyle is THAT stressful) but hang in there…it looks like you are approaching the age in which you will go to university and have more freedom. Unfortunately, it sounds to me like she is not interested in doing things with you other than guiding you to your independence.
Keep your priorities straight, but by all means, reward yourself within reason.
Sounds like you have a good head on your shoulders.
Thank for your advice sir
You are NTA.
It sounds like you’re studying really hard. If you are studying and working really hard, you need some time out to do stuff you enjoy to avoid burning out.
Are you allowed any free time? Personally, I don’t think only 2 hours on a Sunday, as a 17 year old, is anywhere near enough downtime.
Do you have other time to yourself? With mates?
Your mum sounds incredibly unreasonable. This lifestyle does not sound balanced and healthy.
NTA, A levels are a marathon not a sprint. If you get good grades in your mocks (determined by what your uni goals are, you don’t need A*A*A*A* if you’re not going to Oxbridge), then you’re studying enough. If you’re not getting the grades you want, then you could stand to study more (I would as a rule assume you need to be doing a bit more than 10 hours a week to get really good A levels), but you still need to make time to relax so that you don’t burnout. You’re at a time in your life (young adult) where your mental health is pretty fragile, look after it – fuck yourself up mentally now and it’ll be with you for life. Learn to work hard yes, but also learn to work sustainably.
NTA. You’re studying hard for exams that are still two years away, and it’s unfair to be punished for relaxing after you’ve already completed your work. To avoid future conflict, try using a study log so she has physical proof of your effort even when she’s too busy or tired to see it.
Bro I’m a 37 year old redneck from the southern United States and I play, a lot. Enjoy whatever makes you happy
NTA, you study hard so I don’t understand why it is a problem if you play when you have leisure time. And board games are a fun way to bond with your loved and cared ones.
Start a learning diary. Just one or two sentences of what you did. I have one to keep track what I did when. you can show her: geometry 2 hours in the morning, french an hour after lunch, and you read some of the stuff your english teacher recommended.
NTA, at all, you did study, she chose not to believe you
You had permission to play, asked to play with her and share time, she choose to not play
She sounds like only wanting you to study an all of your free time, which is a lot, you need time for leisure and fun, also, is the winter brake, you take a brake from studying hard!!!