It’s Game Time…and Time to Adapt

Ok… itʼs finally happening.

This holiday season we are getting our children their first gaming system!!!!!! My husband and I are not video game people. The last game I played was Tetris on my brotherʼs Gameboy in 1990. While I have tried to hold back and put this off indefinitely, I realize that itʼs no longer possible and Nintendo is not the enemy.  My struggle with this has been the fear of my children glued to yet another screen and the constant begging to play. In addition to that I remember game systems played while sitting still with little movement and interaction with others.

So why now? Why give in?

I am a camper. I like to play outside, craft, swim, run around, play board games and fill my days with physical activities. I love that my children are able to join me in all of these things. BUT, with winter weather on the horizon and a global pandemic keeping us in our homes and away from the children’s usual after school activities, somethingʼs gotta give. Whatʼs a parent to do? I had to come up with a game plan (pun intended). So, not only will my children learn the joys of video games- I. WILL. TOO!!

I had to change my thinking. My 8 year old has been asking for a Nintendo Switch for a few years now. His friends have it. His cousins have it. Why canʼt he have it? When I thought of video games my mind went straight to the games I knew I didn’t want my children to play. I talked to a lot of my friends who are already ahead of me in this department. A lot of them had the same first reaction when I brought up the topic – “hold off as long as you can!!!”

Wait…some of these games are great!

But then I started to do a little research and realized that there are all types of games out there that go along with my children’s interests. Sports games for the athlete, music games for my guitar player, and games where you can build your own worlds for my lego maniac. There is something for everyone, a game for every interest and games that the entire family can play together.

What I’ve learned

This has been a really challenging year in so many ways. As we have seen, children have really stepped up in these crazy times and adapted well to whatʼs going on around them. Surprising them with something that they have been wishing for will make this holiday season a little extra special. And if that means changing board game nights to video game night occasionally – I am ok with that. I will set the gaming rules and do my best to stick to them. We will all still be playing, smiling and most importantly, spending time together as a family. And as soon as the first signs of spring start to show…outside we all go!

P.S. Wish me luck.

Hayley:)