Parents and Your Hobby

[The Funslinger]

Unforunately for me, my parents don't really accept my video game hobby. My dad used to play them himself but he thinks by now I should have grown out of them. He's not so vocal about it, but my mum on the other hand has told me that she's ashamed to admit she has a 22 year old daughter who plays video games 'like a lad'.

Thats pretty bad of her. Get with the times, lady! When you move out (or if you have already) it should be easier.

If my parents literally said they were ashamed of me, that would be the start of a very vocal argument.

Though my parents pretty much accept my gaming. They had some minor experience when we first got a PS1, and aside from my sisters occasionally playing Facebook games, I'm the only one who still plays.

They don't mind, but honestly, I'm unsure how much of that is that I'm the third child and they're just not putting in the effort like they did with my sisters (they never taught me to ride a bike, and I only learned to swim when I was eleven, purely because they never took time to teach me or get me lessons) and the fact my sisters are the ones with incredible academic success and very good jobs right out of university, and on my approach to university, I am, by comparison, somewhat bland in terms of achievement.

Getting a minor book published is probably the only time I've heard my parents talk about me with any pride to their friends and our extended family, and that's long since died down.

To summarize, it's equal parts they don't have a problem with gaming, and they wouldn't bother to stop me. Not that my gaming is out of hand.

 

[Gitty101]

I suppose mine accept that gaming is one of my chosen hobbies, but nothing beyond that. I've tried to educate them both about how much games are evolving and changing, but it's like yammering to a brick wall. In the end I've just given up. So when they start talking about how games are 'all the same' and are 'nothing but gore-fests', I just ignore them. I'm tired of making this argument to every person preceding a certain generation.

 

[Zetatrain]

Well lets see my main hobby's are video games, anime, airsoft, and plastic model kits.

Video Games: My parents used to think that video games were a waste of time for awhile, but now they don't mind it although they do wish I would spend less time on it.

Anime: my parent have absolutely no problem with it and never have, so not much to say there.

Airsoft: I only started it about 4 years ago, but it took a lot of convincing. Part of it was mainly because they really don't like guns. However, then they considered the fact that I would be going outside more rather than staying cooped up in the house all day playing video games, so eventually they approved of it.

Plastic Model Kits: This is the oldest of all my hobbies (started around when I was 5) and it was my dad who got me into it. He used to build models a lot when was a kid, stills does once in awhile, so it goes without saying that he loves this hobby and definitely approves. My mom doesn't mind, though she really wishes my dad would stop collecting model kits since they're piling up in the basement, hell he probably has enough to start his own hobby shop. Even I'm starting to pile up on model kits that haven't been touched.

 

[Snotnarok]

My gaming hobby? They never cared much, hell my mom even with her condition can sing Green Hill Zone. My dad sat down in my AC'd room one day while I was playing Mass Effect and saw some chatting then hot lesbian/alien lovin'. He understood what was going on instantly.

My art hobby? He's all for it. He paints military minatures and I draw and paint my own comic.

 

[Draconalis]

My mother was pretty progressive. She never questioned any of my hobbies and even tried to participate from time to time.

She wont even try Magic though... She says it's too complicated.

Edit:

Oh yeah... I have a father, I forgot about that.

He was less accepting of some of my hobbies. He firmly believes anime is just kids shit and I should have outgrown it years ago. He's rather judgmental in regards to everything and calls me a heathen for being an atheist. I try to make him see reason through logic, but he's a worthless piece of shit idiot that refuses to acknowledge others statements and beliefs.

 

[bluesession]

I folks really don't care much. I introduced my dad to popcap games, and he plays a lot (he still preffers movies) of bejeweled and chuzzle.
My mom, I introduced her to mario on the ds and now she plays Super Princess peach.
They don't love games as I do, but they don't find it terrible either that spend most of my free time playing. After all, I have a job, a life so I don't see why would they find it odd.

The truth is they are still from another generation, they don't understand other things(from me), like how I think, or how I express myself, still thats not an issue.

It may all be because of my (lets call it) life filosofy, which is: I'm a good lad, and I judge myself a lot (to avoid being a bad lad), so don't judge me, or I will judge you with the same hammer of righteousness you use.

 

[Phasmal]

My stepdad loves retro-games, but he occasionally plays newer games.

My mother is less-than-supportive. She'd rather I do more girly things. Still, we joke about it. She likes to embarress me when I'm in a game shop by saying things like `Smells like desperation in here!`. She's only kidding... mostly.

 

[John Farrell]

My mom accepts it, like me playing MTG, because it helps her forget that her little boy has grown up. My dad, on the other hand, occasionally makes quips about it, but that is more due to him not liking computers. I showed him some MW2 and he was wondering why I wasn't shooting my own teammates. He has more or less accepted it nowadays. He knows I can do an honest days work with him, that I can put down the controller, and he is more agitated by my sister's constant texting when she is supposed to be working.

 

[ToastiestZombie]

My mother's perfectly fine with every hobby I have. She's fine with me playing tons of games, and going on the internet. Her reaction to founding out I was a brony was "That's cute! It's nice for you to have something that makes you happy." And she bloody encourages half of the films I watch! So yeah, my mum's awesome with my hobbies.

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

My parents got me into the hobby. When I was 4 and asked why we had a Sega instead of a Nintendo my dad just laughed and told me, "Nintendo is for kids, you didn't think I got the Sega for you?" I find it funny when people are just now realizing Nintendo is for kids.

Also I'm the one making fun of my dad for playing a girl, but that's because he's extremely metrosexual.

Erm Nintendo isn't just for kids :/

My mum is a bit wierded out by it but she was really proud of me when I got writing places on websites and got devs answering on them

I think she just accepts it lol.

She also bought me my gaming PC which was very expensive.

 

[=y]

To my parents, my mother especially, playing video games is a waste of time. It's frustrating, especially considering I'm obliged to live with them right now due to my financial situation but I understand their attitude towards it. After all, they had nothing like it when they were growing up.

When I'm a Dad, I'll get the attraction towards gaming and encourage it provided my kids aren't shirking other things that need to be done. School, getting a job, having a plan for your life, etc...

 

[Tuesday Night Fever]

My parents were both pretty much cool with it. My dad was apparently pretty hardcore into Space Invaders back in his Atari days.

The only time I ever really recall things getting... weird... was back when I picked up a copy of the Resident Evil remake on GameCube. The first time he saw me playing the game I was using Chris Redfield, and my dad seemed pretty enthusiastic about the game after watching me play it for an hour or two (he's a big fan of cheesy 70's/80's zombie movies). The second time he saw me playing the game though I was using Jill Valentine... and he didn't seem to be able to wrap his head around why I'd play a female character. I insisted that the game is legitimately different between the two characters and I wanted to see everything the game had to offer in order to get my money's worth out of it... but he still couldn't understand.

Good thing he doesn't know that more than half of the characters I rolled in WoW were female.

/shrug.

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

I remember staying up after my sister was sent to bed to play Myst, and being annoyed that my parents wouldn't give me their notes on the game puzzles.

It helps that my father has worked on computer networks and servers for most of his life. The only sticking point is video game ratings much to my younger brothers annoyance.

 

[Tazzy da Devil]

My parents aren't very accepting of my hobbies. My Mum used to tell me off for spending so much money on video games, until I worked out that she spends more money on cigarettes than I do on video games. After that she stopped complaining so much, but she still doesn't approve.

My Dad on the other hand doesn't approve of me watching anime. He says that I'm much too old for cartoons, and flat out ignores me if I point out that almost nothing I watch is suitable for children.

 

[Bruenin]

my parents don't understand and are really close minded

They took me to therapy to try and help me with my... 'gay' thing <.<
Anything they don't believe in is wrong and she always questions me when I laugh and demands to see whatever I'm doing, how i'm doing it, who else is doing it, and basically ruining my fun >.<

so yeah... my mom warns me not to believe games that way I don't turn into one of those people 'always on the news'...

she's warning my not to turn into a psycho murderer.... thanks mom

 

[Fappy]

After reading through a majority of these it seems I have neglected a larger part of my story. While my example was an isolated incident, video games have been at the core of many conflicts between my parents and I. The story would take an entire thread itself, hell maybe even a feature. Thankfully its not much of an issue these days as I have proven to them that I can game and be an adult at the same time.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

My mother is convinced that videogames are for kids, but she's given up on ever trying to get me to give it up beyond an occasional "when I became a man, I put away childish things" guilt trip that also includes my habit of watching cartoons. She also doesn't understand that you can't pause online games. [edit]Or that you can play them online with people you know in real life, which I do just about every time I fire up LoL. If I had a nickel for the number of times she said something like "you'd rather play games with complete strangers than spend time with your family. Those aren't real friends you know," I'd be rich. Note that she usually does this when I say something like "I'll (Take out the trash, change the litter pan, cook dinner, watch that movie that you want to watch and I couldn't give a crap about but am not in any way preventing you from watching, fill in the blank here) when I finish this round. I don't want to leave my team mates hanging."[/edit]

My dad, on the other hand, plays games like Temple Run on the various touch screen devices we have around the house, although I haven't seen a non-casual game click with him since the NES.

 

[CommanderL]

My mum thinks its a waste of time and money But I told her I dont drink I dont do drugs I play video games and she has let it go since then