The Life of a Gaming Dad : 2m - 4m
So this post won't be as long as the first one was, mostly because I won't be going into detail about the three key elements I mentioned to being able to pull off gaming and having a baby. Instead these posts will now just be focusing on how I handle Leon and the games, as well as how he interacts with me and/or the games. But as a reminder, I'll always have the three keys listed before going into more detail on how Leon is, and I'll try to do it in a way that could be applied to you and your situation.
1. Baby Always Wins : Nothing is more important than your child, Gaming Pit Stops will be frequent to make room for feedings, diapers, and any other occurrence that may come up.
2. Pause, Pause, Pause! : This button will be your best friend while your baby is nearby, so use it until you wear it out if you have to.
3. Don't Be A Zombie Gamer : If you are in a partnership, don't leave them on permanent baby-duty so you can get your game on. You're a team, and your baby needs you both equally.
Now, this post I won't be breaking things up into what happened in month 2-3, and month 3-4, as these last two months weren't really divided as such. Everything that Leon either did or was effected by was very consistent between the two months, and things just developed further instead of waning away. So let's see what little man has been up to, and hopefully you'll be able to take away from his and my experience and use it in yours.
Calming Effect - One thing you're always told by other parents is that when your baby starts to fuss - and I mean really fuss - put on something with a lot of noise to distract them. It'll alter their attention from what's bothering them (which is sometimes nothing) to What the hell is making noise in front of me? We've had to use this a few times with Leon, but the most interesting one is when he is hanging out in his swing next to the TV and I threw on one of the Dirt games. The noise itself distracted him enough, but it was also the car sounds that wouldn't just keep him distracted but also calm him down to near sleep, probably tricking his brain to thinking he was actually in a car at that moment.
Little Thieving Fingers - Lately, Leon has discovered his hands, and has started to work on how to use and control them. Naturally, this began with noticing something in front of his face and wanting to have it. There are plenty of times where my fiancee or I will use his nursing Boppy pillow on our laps to get him comfortable and try to help him fall asleep. We'll also use it if we're just hanging out with him, which on occasion will be in my lap while I'm playing something. I'll have my arms rested and using the controller, but it was within his arm's reach so of course he wanted to use it too. Again, while I was playing Dirt, there's been plenty of times that this little man will put the brakes on for me, most often when I don't want or even need them. He's trying to help though, and it's fun to watch him try and figure it out. Lately, my fiancee and I have gotten into the Skylanders series and he likes to hold the little figures, but one night as shown in one of the photos below, he legitimately grabbed her hand while she was playing and pulled it towards him so he could mess with the controller.
Response to the Sound - This point, and the one below, have become expansions on the one above. Once he started grabbing at the controller we started letting him try to hold it. Which, due to the size of the controller, isn't so easy for him (but he tries like crazy). So what we have done a few times is set it down in his lap or hold it for him and let him do what he wants. One afternoon in particular, I had gotten done hooking up my TV to play through my stereo system and, wanting to test out the new sound capabilities, I threw in Forza 2 on Xbox 360. I'd had Leon in his bumbo seat on the couch and he was not only watching the TV, but looking at my hands and the controller. So we put it in his lap, my fiancee held down the button for the gas, and we let him grab at the controller because he usually goes for the joysticks. So he'd start grabbing, making tiny little turning adjustments until eventually WHAM! right into the wall he goes crashing. And every time he would respond to hit with this cute little shocked face, his whole body jumping slightly in a sort of What just happened? reaction, and then he'd smile and go back to the controller.
Mimicking -This has been his most recent development as far as specific to being with me when I'm playing games, and it's probably my favorite one so far. One night my friend came over so we could shoot one of our NHL episodes. After we had finished shooting we kept hanging out and playing some of our old favorite games, and ended up on the first WWF Smackdown game on PS1. My fiancee had been with Leon on the other side of the house working on some stuff for her business, but she came down to the game room with him when she'd finished up. I sat him on my lap while I played the game, which is one of his favorite spots to sit. It let's him see the TV and watch what's going on on it, and it gives him access to the controller if he wants to get grabby. Now, he obviously doesn't have a full understanding of the situation and what's going on with it being a video game and all that. But by sitting with me and watching me, he has started grasping the fact that thing in my hand does something on the TV because everytime I hold it, I'm obviously looking at the TV. So on this night in particular, while I'm sitting there playing a wrestling game and smashing buttons trying to kick out of being pinned, he starts to do what I'm doing. Instead of just grabbing at the joysticks like usual and staring at the controller while he did it, he kept his eyes on the TV and just started smacking at the controller hitting whatever he could. Again he doesn't understand the whole situation but seeing that he grasps the fact that there's some connection between the controller and the TV is incredible and like I said, so much fun to watch.
So there you have it, that's just some of the progress that my little gamer buddy has made these last couple months. He's done this and so much more outside of gaming-related things. My family goes to our local hockey rink and he gets more and more attentive each time we go, and it's to the point that he will fight falling asleep to try and watch the game, and yes I mean watch. He follows the players back and forth across the rink, and when the crowd makes noise, he doesn't understand why but you can hear excited hollers coming from him.
I could go on and on about the incredible things this boy is doing, and how happy and proud I am to get to witness every moment of it. But, staying in theme to this series of posts, this one should definitely enhance the argument that having a baby does not have to take away from your gaming time. In fact, the two can merge and overlap with each other in so many fun and unique ways. I leave you again with a few pictures of Leon and his growing gaming habits.
Again, I hope you enjoy these posts, whether you're reading them just to read the blog, or to take away from this and incorporate it into your own gaming and child-raising experience.
Leon with his stuffed controller
Playing Operation with mommy and his big brother (not video game related but still adorable and you can see his concentration even though he really doesn't know what he's doing)
Someone has assumed the proper gaming position
1. Baby Always Wins : Nothing is more important than your child, Gaming Pit Stops will be frequent to make room for feedings, diapers, and any other occurrence that may come up.
2. Pause, Pause, Pause! : This button will be your best friend while your baby is nearby, so use it until you wear it out if you have to.
3. Don't Be A Zombie Gamer : If you are in a partnership, don't leave them on permanent baby-duty so you can get your game on. You're a team, and your baby needs you both equally.
Now, this post I won't be breaking things up into what happened in month 2-3, and month 3-4, as these last two months weren't really divided as such. Everything that Leon either did or was effected by was very consistent between the two months, and things just developed further instead of waning away. So let's see what little man has been up to, and hopefully you'll be able to take away from his and my experience and use it in yours.
Calming Effect - One thing you're always told by other parents is that when your baby starts to fuss - and I mean really fuss - put on something with a lot of noise to distract them. It'll alter their attention from what's bothering them (which is sometimes nothing) to What the hell is making noise in front of me? We've had to use this a few times with Leon, but the most interesting one is when he is hanging out in his swing next to the TV and I threw on one of the Dirt games. The noise itself distracted him enough, but it was also the car sounds that wouldn't just keep him distracted but also calm him down to near sleep, probably tricking his brain to thinking he was actually in a car at that moment.
Little Thieving Fingers - Lately, Leon has discovered his hands, and has started to work on how to use and control them. Naturally, this began with noticing something in front of his face and wanting to have it. There are plenty of times where my fiancee or I will use his nursing Boppy pillow on our laps to get him comfortable and try to help him fall asleep. We'll also use it if we're just hanging out with him, which on occasion will be in my lap while I'm playing something. I'll have my arms rested and using the controller, but it was within his arm's reach so of course he wanted to use it too. Again, while I was playing Dirt, there's been plenty of times that this little man will put the brakes on for me, most often when I don't want or even need them. He's trying to help though, and it's fun to watch him try and figure it out. Lately, my fiancee and I have gotten into the Skylanders series and he likes to hold the little figures, but one night as shown in one of the photos below, he legitimately grabbed her hand while she was playing and pulled it towards him so he could mess with the controller.
Response to the Sound - This point, and the one below, have become expansions on the one above. Once he started grabbing at the controller we started letting him try to hold it. Which, due to the size of the controller, isn't so easy for him (but he tries like crazy). So what we have done a few times is set it down in his lap or hold it for him and let him do what he wants. One afternoon in particular, I had gotten done hooking up my TV to play through my stereo system and, wanting to test out the new sound capabilities, I threw in Forza 2 on Xbox 360. I'd had Leon in his bumbo seat on the couch and he was not only watching the TV, but looking at my hands and the controller. So we put it in his lap, my fiancee held down the button for the gas, and we let him grab at the controller because he usually goes for the joysticks. So he'd start grabbing, making tiny little turning adjustments until eventually WHAM! right into the wall he goes crashing. And every time he would respond to hit with this cute little shocked face, his whole body jumping slightly in a sort of What just happened? reaction, and then he'd smile and go back to the controller.
Mimicking -This has been his most recent development as far as specific to being with me when I'm playing games, and it's probably my favorite one so far. One night my friend came over so we could shoot one of our NHL episodes. After we had finished shooting we kept hanging out and playing some of our old favorite games, and ended up on the first WWF Smackdown game on PS1. My fiancee had been with Leon on the other side of the house working on some stuff for her business, but she came down to the game room with him when she'd finished up. I sat him on my lap while I played the game, which is one of his favorite spots to sit. It let's him see the TV and watch what's going on on it, and it gives him access to the controller if he wants to get grabby. Now, he obviously doesn't have a full understanding of the situation and what's going on with it being a video game and all that. But by sitting with me and watching me, he has started grasping the fact that thing in my hand does something on the TV because everytime I hold it, I'm obviously looking at the TV. So on this night in particular, while I'm sitting there playing a wrestling game and smashing buttons trying to kick out of being pinned, he starts to do what I'm doing. Instead of just grabbing at the joysticks like usual and staring at the controller while he did it, he kept his eyes on the TV and just started smacking at the controller hitting whatever he could. Again he doesn't understand the whole situation but seeing that he grasps the fact that there's some connection between the controller and the TV is incredible and like I said, so much fun to watch.
So there you have it, that's just some of the progress that my little gamer buddy has made these last couple months. He's done this and so much more outside of gaming-related things. My family goes to our local hockey rink and he gets more and more attentive each time we go, and it's to the point that he will fight falling asleep to try and watch the game, and yes I mean watch. He follows the players back and forth across the rink, and when the crowd makes noise, he doesn't understand why but you can hear excited hollers coming from him.
I could go on and on about the incredible things this boy is doing, and how happy and proud I am to get to witness every moment of it. But, staying in theme to this series of posts, this one should definitely enhance the argument that having a baby does not have to take away from your gaming time. In fact, the two can merge and overlap with each other in so many fun and unique ways. I leave you again with a few pictures of Leon and his growing gaming habits.
Again, I hope you enjoy these posts, whether you're reading them just to read the blog, or to take away from this and incorporate it into your own gaming and child-raising experience.
Leon with his stuffed controller
Playing Operation with mommy and his big brother (not video game related but still adorable and you can see his concentration even though he really doesn't know what he's doing)
Someone has assumed the proper gaming position
Me and my fiancee were playing Skylanders and he stole the controller during her turn (can you see the look of pride in his eyes?)
Nothing is complete without a good jam session!
