My parents we're not into gaming, but I appreciate them for not restricting me... as others did due to not understanding the medium.
But now, that I've grown to appreciate and understand gaming so much, it drives me to be an awesome "Gamer Dad" :D. I've introduced my Junior to quite a few games and am loving every moment of it.
More than this, gaming now is a drive to create (like to many of us here), so I started to write about my Gaming Experiences with Junior. Rewarding in and of itself, but to see others take part is awesome.
I was definitely lucky to have the kind of mom who embraced my love for games, but honestly, having parents who don’t restrict their kids’ interests is just as special. It creates space for curiosity and self-discovery, and that’s huge.
I love that you’re a Gamer Dad and sharing these experiences with your son. Introducing him to good games, with thoughtful guidance, is such a powerful way to nurture creativity, problem-solving, and even empathy, all the things gaming can do so well when approached with care.
Wishing you both many amazing play sessions and memories ahead!
So much of this resonates with my experience of growing up playing games (though I did also enjoy the "5th Grade Adventures" type games. Because nerd).
It also puts into words a lot of the sort of abstract thoughts that have crossed my mind now that I'm looking at it from the parenting side of things. It can certainly be a challenge trying to figure out what sorts of games most naturally lend themselves toward that thoughtful engagement with the game rather than mindless button mashing (there's a time and place for that as well, but that branches over into a whole other topic), especially when different kids are going to engage with games differently, or might find different things in the same game challenging.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the topic!
I'm sympathetic to the "What am I writing on here for?" thoughts as well, as I've found myself in a similar boat (though I've sort of brought that on myself by writing on an assorted mishmash of topics that dont have a clear common audience 😬).
Thank you so much, Christena! Your comment really made my day.
I love that you brought in both your childhood experiences and your perspective as a parent. That dual lens is so valuable, especially when it comes to how we think about games as tools for reflection, learning, or just plain fun.
You nailed something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately: thoughtful engagement in games is more about context than about genre or mechanics. The same game can hit completely differently depending on who’s playing, how they’re feeling, or even what they’re going through. That’s part of the magic of our favorite hobby.
Also, I 100% relate to the “what am I even writing about here?” moments. I think your mix of topics reflects curiosity and real-world complexity, and that’s something I deeply admire.
Wishing you the best as well! I also subscribed to you, hope you don't mind.
You had one awesome mom! Happy for you!
My parents we're not into gaming, but I appreciate them for not restricting me... as others did due to not understanding the medium.
But now, that I've grown to appreciate and understand gaming so much, it drives me to be an awesome "Gamer Dad" :D. I've introduced my Junior to quite a few games and am loving every moment of it.
More than this, gaming now is a drive to create (like to many of us here), so I started to write about my Gaming Experiences with Junior. Rewarding in and of itself, but to see others take part is awesome.
Thanks for sharing! Awesome Post!
Thank you so much, that really means a lot to me!
I was definitely lucky to have the kind of mom who embraced my love for games, but honestly, having parents who don’t restrict their kids’ interests is just as special. It creates space for curiosity and self-discovery, and that’s huge.
I love that you’re a Gamer Dad and sharing these experiences with your son. Introducing him to good games, with thoughtful guidance, is such a powerful way to nurture creativity, problem-solving, and even empathy, all the things gaming can do so well when approached with care.
Wishing you both many amazing play sessions and memories ahead!
So much of this resonates with my experience of growing up playing games (though I did also enjoy the "5th Grade Adventures" type games. Because nerd).
It also puts into words a lot of the sort of abstract thoughts that have crossed my mind now that I'm looking at it from the parenting side of things. It can certainly be a challenge trying to figure out what sorts of games most naturally lend themselves toward that thoughtful engagement with the game rather than mindless button mashing (there's a time and place for that as well, but that branches over into a whole other topic), especially when different kids are going to engage with games differently, or might find different things in the same game challenging.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the topic!
I'm sympathetic to the "What am I writing on here for?" thoughts as well, as I've found myself in a similar boat (though I've sort of brought that on myself by writing on an assorted mishmash of topics that dont have a clear common audience 😬).
Wishing you the best!
Thank you so much, Christena! Your comment really made my day.
I love that you brought in both your childhood experiences and your perspective as a parent. That dual lens is so valuable, especially when it comes to how we think about games as tools for reflection, learning, or just plain fun.
You nailed something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately: thoughtful engagement in games is more about context than about genre or mechanics. The same game can hit completely differently depending on who’s playing, how they’re feeling, or even what they’re going through. That’s part of the magic of our favorite hobby.
Also, I 100% relate to the “what am I even writing about here?” moments. I think your mix of topics reflects curiosity and real-world complexity, and that’s something I deeply admire.
Wishing you the best as well! I also subscribed to you, hope you don't mind.
Really enjoyed this piece and I've been saying for years myself that games teach you things in unexpected ways. Thanks for posting!
Thank you! Glad you're enjoyed!