babsitters and gaming

[Mercule]

Babysitter? I spend my cash on books.

We've got three kids, the eldest being 6.5 years old. They've always been around during gaming. Usually, though, we go ahead and put a movie on in the playroom for them -- we're having a fun night, why not them?

Anyway, it's never been an issue for us.

 

[pawsplay]

Just make sure to keep your Rare and Uncommon minis locked up tight.

 

[pawsplay]

Man,
It's kinda great to see there is gaming after kids

Expecting our first born in about 3 months and I'm not sure how this will affect life. My wife has taken time off gaming at the moment to set the house up I'm sure it's the nesting instinct and it's better if I'm not in the way as she organizes. We just can't get in sync with that idea.

"Nesting instinct" is something that occurs as labor as imenent. I think you are dealing with "man, this place looks like Hell, and where are we going to put the chest of drawers" instinct and I suggest you get on board with that plan ASAP.

 

[solkan_uk]

We play with our 9 month old, we go on the assumption that she looks after her if I'm GMing, but otherwise, we tend to split to whoever's got the more background role at the time. We usually start around 5:30-6:00ish and she usually goes to bed 7:00-8:00, so it doesn't impact that much.

As someone further up jokingly suggested - move back in with your parents. My mother's recently split with her partner and we're moving back in with her as she can't afford to live there alone, and we can't afford to get on the property market otherwise. She's happy to babysit around 1/week.

 

[Jolly Giant]

We play at our house, so both the missus and I get our gaming fix. The kids watch a movie until their bedtime. But then we always used to play at our house, even before we had kids.

 

[Bad Paper]

We just leave the baby in the car, turn on the radio, leave the window open a crack.

I am the DM; wife is a player. Our group's schedule has been painfully restricted these last few months. We have played um, three? times since the birth of our six-month-old NPC.

We are playing again this coming Sunday. This is the biggest change, I think. Since the birth, weeknight games are simply impossible. Our games are Sunday afternoons. It helps that our group has two additional very baby-friendly please-let-me-hold-him players. Oh, the other big (obvious) change is that all smoking is now out-of-doors, but baby loves playing with those beer bottles!

In another campaign, where I am a player, and my wife is not involved, I obviously leave baby at home with her. That campaign has a player with a two-year-old, and oddly enough, we only play on weeknights. Daddy brings him along, plunks him down in the back room with the baby monitor, and the kid sleeps through the night. That boy is extremely well sleep-trained. Wow. Pack-n-Plays are definitely your friends.

 

[schporto]

I DM. My wife plays. The 2.5 (going on 16) year old plays in the play room. Or (too often) in front of us. We have a portable DVD player with some shows she likes. Each age seems to bring it's own problems.
Under 6 months - breast feeding in the middle of the game. My wife would actually come behind the counter to do this. Kinda weird now that I think about it. The other players could hear, but not see her.
6 Months to 1 year - Sleeping. This seems to be when you are trying hardest to get the sleeping right. Gaming makes this tough.
1 year to 18 months - Eating anything. They want to eat dice. Minis. Paper. Pens. Books. Anything. One eye constantly.
18 mos to 2.5 years - Walking and 'interfering'. She just wants to play now. With everything. At least she's not eating. But the minis the dice etc.
We usually take ~20/30min break to put her to bed in the middle. As a DM I try to pace the game so there is a break then. The other players use it to discuss player issues. Who is buying what etc.

Oh, and welcome to Delaware.
-cpd

 

[Mercule]

Pack-n-Plays are definitely your friends.

This deserves repeating. If you have a child, whether you game or not, you should get a Pack-n-Play.

 

[schporto]

Oh, one other thing my wife and I discussed that could be used. In the Dragon Compendium there is a race of twins. You could use this race with each of you getting one of the twins. Whichever week it is the other twin is the non-dominant one for that session. Yeah this means you aren't both playing but its an idea.
-cpd

 

[TheYeti1775]

I'll third the notion of the pack-n-play being your best friend.
Also the Bouncing Chair and the old Wind-up Swings are great as well.

They help keep one sane.