[Reere]

Becoming a Gamer Dad
by sawedust

The day you become a father is the day your life changes forever. A brand new game of uncharted territory starts. You're embarking on a quest that spans almost for two decades, progressing through levels such as "Fighting Sleep Deprivation," "Change the Chocolate Pudding While Avoiding The Firehose" and "How Do We Stop This Baby From Crying?"

If you think the first few levels are difficult without even experiencing them, even more challenges await you. "This Kid Is Causing Trouble," both in victim and perpetrator varieties, will force parents to make sound decisions and teach their children the proper way to deal with such encounters. Such lessons have a great impact in bonus levels like "I Think I'm In Love With Him/Her" or "Dad, I Need Money" later in life.

The challenges of parenting varies from person to person, each one with his or her own personal challenges that guides and directs the storyline from beginning to end. While gamification of such a serious task may seem counter-intuitive, it is also a way to find relief and entertainment when actual gaming with a keyboard and mouse or a controller is not an option.

Future gamer dads need to realize that gaming (which may have been a priority) now takes a backseat to a much more important aspect of their lives: their child. This can be especially difficult for those who pursue gaming full-time as a profession. Time that may have been allocated to practicing your craft may need to be transferred to taking care of the baby and its mother instead. Furthermore, finding any sort of time to play may be a challenge within itself.

However, this doesn't mean that just because you're a brand new gamer dad doesn't mean you can't play games. Here are a few tips to help a new gamer dad make it through the first several months of fatherhood.


Time is everything.

Single-player role-playing games have the luxury of being able to start, save and stop at any given time, but multiplayer online (action) real-time strategy games such as StarCraft II and League of Legends aren't so accomodating. Because a gamer dad's time revolves around the baby's erratic schedule, there may be gaming periods than may only last ten minutes; that's barely enough to progress to the midgame. If you're fortunate, you may be able to squeeze in an hour-long session.

Finding a good time to play is difficult at first, but a routine may eventually develop once sleeping patterns emerge. A good time to consider playing a few games is the moment after the baby is fully sleeping. This should give you some time to get into a game without having to worry about the baby waking up.

Because you're on "borrowed time," it's imperative, therefore, to keep a primary focus on what you want to do with the time allotted. Will it be a few games of online ladder? Work on practicing specific in-game skills? Or just a few games of relaxation? Whatever you decide, be sure to make the best of you gaming session.


Location, location, location.

It's beneficial for all involved to have your computer or console in a different room from where the baby is sleeping, especially if you have a mechanical keyboard, stream with a webcam and/or microphone, or both.

Keeping your gaming sessions in a separate place will allow you to have a similar experience prior to having the baby while also letting your loved ones get the necessary rest that they need. You'll be able to tap away on your keyboard, communicate with stream viewers and immerse yourself into a game without having to worry about waking up the baby.

However, it's important that wherever you're having your gaming session you should be able to hear your wife or baby in the event one or the other needs help. There's nothing worse than getting lost in an extended gaming session only to find out something has happened where your assistance was needed. Keep an open ear!


Patience is a virtue.

The additional responsibility of being a father may take its toll on you over time. A lack of sleep or personal time may cause you to be antsy or irritable. The stress of a baby constantly crying may add to it. A horrible game with pretentious bad manner where you had to quit to attend to your family may be enough to push you over the edge.

Having patience and understanding as a trait is invaluable in a time of trials and tribulations. The ability to stay calm not only for yourself, but your baby and its mother will foster a positive environment for everyone. A healthy attitude towards family life as well as gaming can be passed down to the little one as he or she gets older too.

With these three simple tips, a new and challenging journey can turn into a fun and enjoyable experience over time. Congratulations on the baby and best wishes in your gaming and life as a father!



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[Narse]

My son just woke up not 10 minutes ago (11months) for a feeding and he just fell asleep now.

I know all too well the early stages of this game! .

Good read at 2:05AM Toronto time.