Hey everyone I need some advice. My 8 year old son has recently become obsessed with fantasy TV shows dragons, wizards, magic lands, all that stuff. At first, I thought it was just a phase, but now I’m getting a little worried. He seems more interested in these shows than anything else “normal” kids his age do like sports, hobbies, or hanging out with friends.
It’s like he drifts into this fantasy world and prefers it over reality. I don’t know if this is something I should be concerned about or if I should just let it run its course. Has anyone else dealt with this? Should I ban certain shows? Or am I overthinking it?
Totally get where you’re coming from. My son was super into a specific show about superheroes for a while and I felt the same way…it was all he wanted to talk about and he didn’t seem interested in anything else. What helped was balancing things out a bit. We didn’t ban the show but we introduced other activities ike signing him up for soccer and encouraging some outdoor play. It took a while but eventually, he started getting into other things. I think it’s okay if kids have phases like this as long as they have some variety in their routine.
It’s just a phase, hang in there! Kids go through these obsessions and they usually outgrow them.
My daughter is the same way but with unicorns! It’s like she’s always in her unicorn kingdom. I keep wondering if it’s normal or if I should intervene more too. I’m curious, does your son ever talk about what he likes about these shows? Maybe there’s something in them that connects with him in a way regular stuff doesn’t.
Simeone I know exactly how you feel. My oldest was OBSESSED with a fantasy game for months and it was frustrating. I tried everything, limiting screen time, redirecting to other activities, you name it. In the end, I realized that banning the shows or games entirely just made things worse. It’s hard because you want them to engage with the real world, but these fantasy worlds give them something too…a sense of adventure, imagination, or even comfort.
What worked for us was finding a middle ground. We started doing things together that were loosely connected to his interests like reading fantasy books or trying role-playing board games. It made him feel understood without taking away what he loved. And eventually, he started branching out into other interests. You’re not alone in this. Kids are tricky and sometimes it just takes a little patience.
Been there, Simeone. My daughter went through a huge Harry Potter phase around that age. It took over her life. What worked for us was setting up screen free time every day and encouraging activities that connected with her interests like creative writing or arts and crafts based on the fantasy themes she loved. Also, we made a point to schedule regular playdates, which helped her engage with other kids and not just the fantasy world.