How does your family view your hobby?

[Theron]

(Sorry if this thread has been brought up before. I don't recall seeing it, but I haven't been here religiously for a while.)

So, see the question above. What does your family think of gaming? I'll start:

I'm pretty lucky, all-in-all. My folks are pretty tolerant and saw gaming as just another extension of the make-believe worlds I'd been indulging in since I could talk. On the religious front, they even defended the hobby a couple of times to their fellow church-goers and friends. They even let me teach my niece and nephew (who they have partial custody of) how to play a few months ago (I gave them a copy of the Adventure Game to take home).

The only flak I ever caught from them about it was over what it did to my grades in high school. My dad went so far as to confiscate my stuff for about six weeks at one point in a basically futile attempt to get me to focus on studies (unfortunately, he didn't grasp how little one actually needed in the way of physical materials to play the game).

Both of my brothers played when they were kids but didn't stick with it.

My wife is a casual gamer. She understands it and enjoys some genres, but can take it or leave it.

So, anyone else?

 

[Hand of Evil]

Mom, Dad, and one brother don't really understand it but view it as a hobby.

Aunts, uncles and others, see it as the work of Satan. (no joke)

 

[alsih2o]

the wife sees it as a precious few hours free of my hyper self.

she brings me food, asks intelligent questions about the campaign, and likes my gaming buddies, couldn't ask for more.

on the other hand, my dogs wish i would quit and go throw tennis balls in our pond

 

[Crothian]

They've excepted it as a hobby. My Dad sort of gets it and my sister understands what it is. But my mom and my brother have no clue what it really is.

My sister has been getting my gift certificates for the local gaming store for Christmas the last couple of years.

 

[Dr Midnight]

I've tried to explain it to my parents on occasion, but they don't really get it. They'd rather shrug and keep on watching the Food Network.

My sister thinks I'm a horrible geek. Of course, she dated a bad gamer for a while, so she's entitled to her stereotype.

 

[Prince Atom]

Well, my parents are concerned about my spending so much time playing. They think the folks I game with are not really my type. I don't know how, but somehow I've become the most liberal guy in my group. I don't know how I keep meeting conservatives

I think they're right, that I'd be happier with another group, but some of these folk have been friends since college and I don't want to just blow them off.

Both my brother and my girlfriend are avid players. Unfortunately, neither has played in some time

And, in the extended family, I've got at least one uncle who wouldn't approve if he knew (he though He-Man was Satanic), and so does my girlfriend (her grandmother got those cousins a board game of Quidditch for Christmas, leading to some minor embarrassment).

TWK

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

I'm presently 23, and my two older brothers have been playing D&D more or less since it came out. One is now 40, the other 35. So you can imagine the family pretty much accepts it as normal, really.

 

[John Crichton]

Anyone who knows me (friends, family, workmates, etc.) know that I love games of all types. Sports, board games, video games, card games, role playing games....

I have been doing it so long (sports/board games all my life and roleplaying for 10+) that it just "what I do." Actually, I get more questions for people to be included than anything else. I'm surprised how much people actually want to get into the game. Sometimes it's because they enjoy games like Final Fantasy but other times they just see us having a ton of fun and want to join it.

Good times, good times....

 

[SemperJase]

My thought it was wierd at first. Now she plays with me! My brother also plays with me. Our parents heard to many gamer suicide stories in the 80's. They realize now the game isn't responsible and there are many lies about the game, but they still have reservations about it.

 

[shurai]

As a brief preamble, I'm 22, going to college, and have been playing since I left South Texas when I graduated form high school.

My family
------------
Mother: You know it doesn't sit right with me, but it's your life. Just be careful.

Father: It's not the best way of spending your time. You should spend more time watching C-SPAN and going to Toastmasters meetings. Seriously.

Mother's side fo the family: What is D&D? (Exception: cousins enjoy the game or used to, and so understand.)

Father's side of the family: You play D&D? What's that?

Stepfather's side of the family: We'll pray for you. You used to be such a good Christian* back when you were in Texas.

-S

*I'm still a good Christian, or at least my heart tells me that I am, even though I look at the world a bit differently now.