You’ll notice this week’s Parental No-Scope didn’t fall on its usual Monday slot. Believe it or not, that isn’t just because I wasn’t filled with Valentine’s Day inspiration. A year ago today, my very first article was published here on CGMagazine, Stranger Danger in an Online World. Just like that, Parental No-Scope was born.
Friends, family and editors alike encouraged me to use my voice and share my experiences with the world of being a nerd-parent. It turns out there are more of us than I thought. When I started my parenting journey, the world made it seem like that was it for my identity. Say goodbye to hobbies, games, and personal interests, it would be all Paw Patrol and Peppa Pig from there on out.
For a while, they were right. I pushed everything aside to be the mom everyone told me I had to be. A year of maternity leave with my son left me feeling like a shell of who I was. Wash the dishes, dust the house, pick up the toys, make dinner—this was all I was meant for. At some point between my firstborn in 2015, and my second born in 2019, I realized that wasn’t an option for me anymore. I wasn’t meant to eat, sleep and breathe parenting, even if that was completely taboo.
“A year ago today, my very first article was published here on CGMagazine, Stranger Danger in an Online World.”
Just because there were tiny people running around didn’t mean I had to forget everything I love—though it did sometimes mean I was far too tired for it. My children can probably handle technology better than I can most days, and they’re learning more every day. It’s amazing how fast children learn compared to adults. Diving into gaming was a little more challenging, with plenty of frustration on both sides—controls more complicated than left and right are a lot when kids are young and determined. But I’ve learned a few tricks along the way, and now gaming isn’t just my hobby after the kids go to bed, it’s something we do as a family.
It wasn’t until CGM talked me into exploring the lines between parenting and my passion for technology and gaming that I realized I wasn’t alone. In the last year, over two million parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and fellow nerds have come to Parental No-Scope to see what I have to say about this crazy journey. That is…humbling…to say the least. Honestly, I didn’t know I had a month’s worth of things to say, never mind a whole year.
I planned to hand out some tips on how to handle remote learning, or the appropriate age to introduce video games to your kids. Early on, I started touching on more emotional topics, like staying in touch through technology and gaming during a pandemic, and how your interests change when becoming a parent. Week to week, I got the chance to explore a new side of parenting, technology and gaming with readers.
“Raising tiny humans while still loving technology and gaming is absolutely possible.”
I was lucky enough to check out some of the latest toys for the holidays, and sit in on the fall preview event for OG Unwrapped, exploring some of the newest kids games. In the last year, I’ve been able to raise my family and rekindle my love for technology and gaming, when the whole world told me that wasn’t possible.
Parental No-Scope and CGMagazine helped me create this little pocket of the internet dedicated to educating and entertaining the army of people out there raising the next generation of nerds. We are not alone in our passions or our fears. Raising tiny humans while still loving technology and gaming is absolutely possible. No, we aren’t bad parents. And yes, video games can be educational!
Thank you for a whole year of Parental No-Scope. With diving deeper into the best technology for kids, how gaming can gauge your mental health and the best gaming gear for kids on the horizon, I can’t wait to see what the next year brings.