The Secret of Cool Moms

Ready, set, go! Armed with an overused mouse, I would drag my virtual pet, make him jump over hurdles to get a steady lead from my friends’ pets, bathe, feed and play ball with him – every single day for the past 4 months. I would then proceed to my virtual restaurant to feed my employees, get rid of trash and check my menus. Then I’d do a couple of rounds of Word Challenge before finally going to bed.  What do I get from it? Stress relief and pure satisfaction (I didn’t realize that seeing my friends lose against me could be very gratifying.). When people confront me about my playing habits, I’d just shrug my shoulders. Never have I admitted that I actually enjoy playing internet games. I did not think it was a “proper” thing to do as a mom.

Little do I know, a lot of moms are on the same page as  I am. According to the Entertainment Software Association, 40 percent of gamers are women. Maria Bailey, CEO of BSM Media noted, “Initially, moms were gaming for relaxation and escapism. Now they are also doing it to connect with their families.”

When I asked around in forums and playdates, here’s what moms think about gaming:

“My kids love playing Mario Party 7 on GameCube. I think they’re having more fun playing the game with me because they enjoy watching me lose. So I took advantage of it. I would make them earn their play time by helping out with the dishes or cleaning the house.”

“My 8-year old son introduced me to World of Warcraft. At first, I only played because I could see how much they appreciate seeing me spend time with them at something that they love doing. But then I realized that I was having fun with WoW too! I got better with my game and soon, my warrior was winning the game against my kid’s hunter! I once overheard my son brag about me at school, telling his friend how good I am with WoW and how my warrior defeated him in just a matter of weeks!”

“On one rainy weekend, my husband and I played Wii tennis with our three kids that we all ended up sleeping until 11 am the following day.”

“I am the worst student there is when it comes to learning how to use the controller. But I find the Wii controller the most mommy-user-friendly gaming device there is. If you want to hit the golf ball, just swing the remote – it cannot get any simpler than that.”

Can your child really benefit from gaming?

Gaming might be a good bonding experience for the family but there are also concerns whether this activity takes away a child’s interest from reading, playing games of pretend, doing art projects or other real sports. Here’s what moms have to say about this dilemma:

“My 7-year old daughter started playing the Guitar Hero and is very good at it. One of her teachers noted that she is noticing a significant improvement in my daughter’s hand and eye coordination in playing the piano. She can now read the notes faster and play the piano with more ease and confidence.”

“My 10-year old son would always look forward to our gaming weekends. We set a date for gaming whenever my husband is at home too. That way, my son started planning his week more efficiently so he can finish all his homework and projects by Friday. He knows his priorities now and the laughs that we get from playing together are just priceless.”

“When mom’s happy, everybody’s happy. That’s just the way it is. If I’ve been given enough time to play and unwind, I noticed that my whole family thrives – there’s less tension and whining. “

Quality family time or not, gaming is a great way for moms to take some load off their backs for a few minutes. Gaming might not make your child more intellectual compared to reading books but you’d know that it nourishes your child’s emotional intelligence if you see him having good laughs with you while you do your version of  “Dancing Queen” on PS3 Singstar.

The era of martyr moms is long gone. The age of gamer moms has arrived.

Here are some links where you can find hardcore gamer moms and wannabe gamer moms (like me): Twittermoms, Gamermomsclub, The Escapist, GamePro.

Kids are not really good at making compliments to their parents. But if your kid proudly tells everyone how cool you are and how he loves gaming with you – you can be sure he really means it.

Photo by kelvin255