Game On!

It has been awhile since I have written on my blog. I am certain that only a couple of people actually read my blog, but that is OK, because I like to write about things that are on my mind. That being said, I have been enjoying a long weekend, AKA “Spring Break”, with my daughter, who is growing up way too fast! She is almost 9 and I am trying to slow down and enjoy my time with her before she is more interested in being out of the house. When she is out of the house more, I am sure my house will be cleaner!

For awhile now there have been many discussions about children being plugged in and using some sort of a device for too long. Technology has become so much of a part of our lives that some believe that technology is a basic human right. I have read that the UN has declared that internet access is a basic human right. Really, look it up! Since technology is here to stay in our homes, schools, and businesses, parents need to be aware of what their child is doing online. I think that many parents have no idea what their child is playing on a computer because parents are also very busy on their “devices” and all of the other tasks that they do daily.

Lately, we have been planning her birthday party and she really loves two computer games: Minecraft and Roblox. I have never been much of a gamer, unless you count Scrabble-I love word games. Anyway, we are planning a Minecraft party and I really do not know much about Minecraft. Luckily she is a good teacher and I am learning the lingo.

What I do happen to know something about is the game of Roblox. A couple of months ago, my daughter and her friends started playing and I would watch her make are remake her avatar, try on fashions, go through obbies (AKA obstacle courses), etc. I really wasn’t sure about why she loved to play Roblox so much but I enjoyed watching her play and became intrigued by the conversations she was having with other gamers. I am almost always nearby when she games and she would ask me what some things meant when she read some of the “mean” conversations taking place. It became a great learning experience for her on dealing with people that were not speaking nicely and a learning experience for me to know what was happening in her life and the life of her friends. Even with kid settings in games, there are some interesting conversations going on out there!

After a while, I decided to join Roblox and make and name a character of my own. My daughter was SO excited! She really wanted to share her experiences with me and try to teach me. I was and still am horrible at obbies, but we have learned how to be in the same server for games so that we can play together. I have learned that she is great at building homes and businesses. She has a great eye and a ton of patience when it comes to creating buildings. She can take an empty lot and make a mansion in no time at all. She is also learning that unless you work and make money, you will not be able to pay your house bills and the power goes out. I have been able to teach her appropriate ways to deal with bullies, and we both have been enjoying gaming together. I feel like it has been a great bonding time for us and that I understand her thought processes more now because I know what she is spending time doing.

I am always trying to strike a balance between gaming and other activities. Spring weather is almost all of the way here and I am looking forward to more outside time to move around and less inside game time. (I’ve got some fun outside birthday gifts on the way!) Of course, I also enjoy gaming with my daughter so I am sure we will continue no matter the season.

When I was thinking about writing about gaming with my daughter, I did a search to see what the popular opinion was about parents and children gaming and I came across several articles on the subject. I found many others that support my opinion of gaming as a family. I also believe many researchers have come to the realization that gaming is here to stay. Of course, moderation between gaming and other aspects of life are very important. Children still need to take care of responsibilities, get enough sleep, go to school, play age appropriate games, have other physical activity, interact with others in person, etc. Can’t forget to use common sense!

Try and enjoy some gaming with your child. I am sure you will get a good laugh and be amazed at how good they are at it and how much you have to learn!