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Never forget that family always comes first.
As you get older, you’ll have less time to indulge in your favorite hobbies since you’ll most likely have many responsibilities to balance, such as work, a relationship, or even a baby. The latter is today’s topic since I’m myself a new father, and for the last 8 months, I think I’ve successfully found a way to balance fatherhood with my love for gaming. Here’s how.
First, there’s a golden rule: family comes first. And because of this, sometimes I spend days without gaming, but that’s fine!
Gaming is just a hobby, so I could never think of putting it first. It’s more important to spend quality time with your partner and your baby than to 100% a Mario or Zelda game.
I can maybe play one or even two hours a day, and if I were to complete every single game I buy, I’d be stuck with one for months!
I still play my RPGs, but once in a while, I might turn on Easy Mode just so I don’t have to spend hours grinding levels.
Also, I’m committed to buying fewer games since I know most of them will just sit on the shelf waiting to be played. Doing this really helps me not rush games just so I can beat them before the next game release. And my wallet really thanks me for it too since I now have a child to provide for.
As stated before, I can get a couple of hours of gaming daily and I try to have them on a fixed schedule. I must be free of any responsibility at the time I’m gaming, so the time that works best for me is after my partner and baby are asleep.
However, some days I’m just so tired that I turn on my Nintendo Switch for a few minutes and just fall asleep!
Furthermore, if you decide to do this as well, remember that communication in a relationship is important, and you should talk to your partner to see if this is okay with them since this might seem a bit selfish.
It’s not a problem if your gaming sessions are compromised once in a while; the health of your relationship is far more important.
In conclusion, as a new father, I have to make a lot of sacrifices, including the time I used to have for myself, but that doesn’t mean I can’t balance my love for gaming with my responsibilities.
By committing to buying fewer games and spending less time trying to complete every single one, finding a schedule that doesn’t interfere with my daily responsibilities, having healthy communication with my partner, and, most importantly, putting my baby first, I think I’ve successfully become a Gamer Dad!
Side note: As the baby grows, my reality will keep shifting, so I might have to update this in the future!