Joshua Randall
Legend
Greetings. I'm facing a situation that I don't know how to handle. Maybe y'all can help me.
I have a beautiful wife whom I love very much. We've been married a short time and have had some disagreements, but they've all been worked out. Except one. She hates it when I play D&D!
Here are some relevant facts:
My wife's specific objection is that playing D&D takes too much time, time that I could be spending with her or "doing something useful." She gets practically enraged about the fact that the other guys want to play on the weekend. (I might be able to talk her into letting me play on a weekday, but that's irrelevant because the other guys can't do it then.)
What should I do?
Please do not say "get a divorce" or "grow some you-know-whats". Those are not helpful replies. And I'm not going to appreciate anything along the lines of "your wife's a witch", either. (She may be, but she's my witch, dammit! )
Here are some things I've thought of doing:
Frankly I don't think any of the above is going to help.
Have any of you faced a similar problem with your wife or husband? What did you do?
I have a beautiful wife whom I love very much. We've been married a short time and have had some disagreements, but they've all been worked out. Except one. She hates it when I play D&D!
Here are some relevant facts:
- We are both 30 years old.
- I always think she will be more open minded about D&D, because she has some gamer blood in her. She likes playing board games (e.g., Settlers of Catan, Tigris & Eufrates) and card games (e.g., pinochle, Oh Hell).
- However, she associates D&D with abject geekiness.
- The friends I would be playing with are all in their 30s with jobs, wives, and (for some) families. In other words these are not the stereotypical uber-dorks who work at the comic store and still live in their parents' basement.
My wife's specific objection is that playing D&D takes too much time, time that I could be spending with her or "doing something useful." She gets practically enraged about the fact that the other guys want to play on the weekend. (I might be able to talk her into letting me play on a weekday, but that's irrelevant because the other guys can't do it then.)
What should I do?
Please do not say "get a divorce" or "grow some you-know-whats". Those are not helpful replies. And I'm not going to appreciate anything along the lines of "your wife's a witch", either. (She may be, but she's my witch, dammit! )
Here are some things I've thought of doing:
- Playing up the friendships at stake. In other words, these are my friends and I want to spend time with them. Playing D&D is how we pass our time together - it's a very social game.
- Inviting her to observe a session. Haven't done this because (1) we are a bit rambunctious when we play (swear a lot, for example) and therefor (2) I am afraid of what her reaction would be to observing us.
- Patiently explaining what D&D is like by comparing it to things she appreciates. For example, emphasizing the problem-solving aspects of D&D which compare to similar features in board games that she likes.
Frankly I don't think any of the above is going to help.
Have any of you faced a similar problem with your wife or husband? What did you do?