Why Video Games?

“Mom, come sit next to me.”

It’s an ice day. No School. So, video games.

For years, our go to was Lego. We’d spend hours building Lego creations. Then, pandemic and divorce, and Lego got left behind at his dad’s. What was left? What could we do together? Video games. Ok. Not video games. Minecraft.

Special Time was the tool that made the difference.

Like for most 10 year olds, Minecraft was an obsession, to put it mildly. He’d been playing for a couple of years already, and I’d been dutifully watching, slowing learning the language. 

I showed up because we do Special Time, which is where for a specific amount of time. In Special Time, he can decide anything that we do, and I am enthusiastic about it, or at least open to it, even if, to put it mildly, I didn’t get it at all.

Cubes? What was so exciting about cubes? It was hard to watch. The movements were too quick. It wasn’t very pretty. I didn’t understand the game mechanics. What was the point anyway? How do you win? Is there even a goal?  And skeletons, zombies and those green things that explode? No, thank you. Not a fan.

So, what happened? What changed?

Well, my son and I were in a new place, schools were shut down, we didn’t really know anyone, and he needed someone to play with. Plus, connecting with my son was important to me. 

This is how I entered the world of playing Minecraft. Our habit of Special Time meant that if he wanted to play Minecraft, I would play Minecraft.

I was really, truly horrible. Awful. Abysmal. Terrible.

I hate being bad at stuff. I have had a tendency in my life to avoid things I am not naturally talented at. But I couldn’t avoid this.

Nor would I actually want to. Because I saw how happy it made my son to have me play with him. I saw how much it meant to him that I took an interest in his interest. This made sucking at it completely worth it.  If he loved Minecraft, I loved him enough to be curious about what he loved, and try it out.

Definitely worth it.

“Would you like to try?” 

Yes, I would.