Video Game Mindfulness for Mums
It’s an unusual title for a blog I know. Most parental interactions with video games are anything but mindful. They can often become the point of conflict or something that pulls our children away from us.
My name is Andy Robertson and I regularly work with families finding video games a bit of a stress. Together we find ways to understand and interpret the behaviour around video games as a step towards healthier more productive relationships with this inescapable aspect of childhood (we may wish we could just lock away in a high cupboard).
While some of this work is helping children regulate their gaming and find a wider set of things to do, it also involves helping parents get a better understanding of what video games are from playing them first-hand.
Finding a game that you as an adult actually enjoy as a pastime can revolutionise your relationship with a child who loves gaming. I’m not suggesting you will enjoy Fortnite or Minecraft. You might, but it’s unlikely you’d choose that rather than Netflix and a glass of red wine in the evening.
The games I suggest parents play are experiences aimed at adults that address interesting topics are easy to play and don’t consume your whole day. They are often a great way to get some peace and thinking space amidst all the other chaos.
Here are some popular suggestions from my list of games for people who haven’t ever played a game.
This is a little puzzle game that tells the story of a relationship, following the usual stages of loneliness, meeting, dating, falling for and moving in with another person. At first, the puzzle interactions seem trivial and the game doesn’t change depending on how well we do. But each puzzle is cleverly designed to reflect the story. Sometimes easy, when the relationship is going well; sometimes almost impossible, when the couple is struggling.
Create an ordered, efficient underground train system. It sounds like hard work, but the simple Tube-map visuals, calm music, and streamlined interactions make this relaxing, like sudoku. Dip your toe in this strategy challenge and keep the system running smoothly as the numbers of passengers increase.
Townscaper is a town building toy. You pick colours from the range available and click to put down a house in the sea. As you continue to add houses of different colours the game automatically orientates the architecture for you.
Old Man’s Journey is a game about memory and old age. You help a grandfather-figure traverse the countryside by raising and lowering the landscape. Along the way he visits places that evoke the story of his life: a wife, a child and a love of the sea.
Hopefully, there’s something there that will grab your interest. Give them a try. If you find something you enjoy, see what happens when your kids find out.
For further help navigating the world of video games for your family go to: : https://www.taminggaming.com/en-gb