What about Parents?
- Thread starter Eeralai
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the Mrs. has gamed, but doesn't really care about it one way or another. she'd prefer if i didn't though, so i could spend more time with her. 
ElvishBard
First Post
My parents (mostly my dad) was playing D&D when he my age. He gave me the old stuff he had, and helps me when I need to think of new things to do to the PCs. He has also DMed for me a few times, and it was fun even though it was 2nd edition. My 5 uncles played, although one of my uncles and his wife think the game is satanic lol.
Stormborn
Explorer
When I was younger and saw GURPS books at the local BDalton, my mother absolutely forbid me from getting them. She was trying very hard to be typical Suburban Mom who thought RPGs = Satanism. This is the same woman who read LotR to me as a child. Go figure.
Later, as computers became popular and I and my brother got into CRPGs she didn't have a problem with them. But she was mellowing by then.
Her reaction to my first article in Dragon: "The pictures are pretty." She is happy I have found some measure of success in writing, but she doesn't understand. She doesn't get it, doesn't understand it, but basically figures its no worse than comicbooks, which she bought for me every week of my life practically.The fact that I met my wife roleplaying helps.
(Her parents, on the other hand, ask about what happened in the game and how her character is doing. Different family.)
My father really likes the Black Company Books and I think about seeing if he would want to play a game everytime I see the campaign book, but will probablly never happen.
The Question I don't think I want to know the answer to: What does my congregation think of RPGs?
Later, as computers became popular and I and my brother got into CRPGs she didn't have a problem with them. But she was mellowing by then.
Her reaction to my first article in Dragon: "The pictures are pretty." She is happy I have found some measure of success in writing, but she doesn't understand. She doesn't get it, doesn't understand it, but basically figures its no worse than comicbooks, which she bought for me every week of my life practically.The fact that I met my wife roleplaying helps.
(Her parents, on the other hand, ask about what happened in the game and how her character is doing. Different family.)
My father really likes the Black Company Books and I think about seeing if he would want to play a game everytime I see the campaign book, but will probablly never happen.
The Question I don't think I want to know the answer to: What does my congregation think of RPGs?
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Kanegrundar
Explorer
My dad forbid me to playsince he had heard on the radio that D&D leads to insanity. After a while, I bought my first copy of the Basic game and once he got over his anger at me going behind his back and saw that I wasn't going to go crazy, he didn't have any problem with it. He thinks is a waste of money, but everyone has a hobby. My mom and grandparents never really cared.
Kane
Kane
Rafael Ceurdepyr
First Post
Oh, is weird. I first gamed in the late 70s/early 80s when I was in high school/college and my mom was fine with it, thought nothing of it. Got back into it a few years ago and last Thanksgiving she decided to get worried. (Bear in mind I'm in my 40s.) Said she'd always worried about it being Satanic. (Mom, you're retconning!) So my dear brother, who once played in one of my high school era games as Derek the Chaotic Evil Cleric, at the Thanksgiving visit, asked me all about D&D in her presence and we rolled up a character for him. I think that finally convinced her--it was way too boring for her, and therefore not evil. But hey, my pastor's frequently the DM! (but to her that's a whoooole different story)
Rel
Liquid Awesome
Once I was beyond "kid" age (I'd say when I turned 14 or so) my folks stopped buying me RPG stuff unless I was very specific about wanting something for Christmas or whatever. This wasn't because they didn't support the hobby but more because it was just easier to give me an allowance or gift money and let me buy it myself.
As I grew into adulthood I would once in a while mention having "game night" and they would say stuff like, "Oh, you still do that?" but it wasn't derisive. When I became a published author for ICE, I recall my mom being really proud that my name was on a book. My dad's reaction was pretty funny because I had been telling him about my book coming out and then I showed him a copy. He was paging through it and said, "There's a lot of words in here! You wrote all this stuff?" I guess he was expecting it to be more like a comic book or something.
My folks never say a bad word about my gaming. I guess they figure that if it makes me happy then why would they complain.
As I grew into adulthood I would once in a while mention having "game night" and they would say stuff like, "Oh, you still do that?" but it wasn't derisive. When I became a published author for ICE, I recall my mom being really proud that my name was on a book. My dad's reaction was pretty funny because I had been telling him about my book coming out and then I showed him a copy. He was paging through it and said, "There's a lot of words in here! You wrote all this stuff?" I guess he was expecting it to be more like a comic book or something.
My folks never say a bad word about my gaming. I guess they figure that if it makes me happy then why would they complain.
Ao the Overkitty
First Post
My mom looks down a bit on my gaming (and my gaming group). She doesn't really consider it grown up behaviour. This is made more interesting by the fact that my parents were briefly gamers when they were around ten years older than I am now. The funny thing is, she only seems to connect a lack of maturity to D&D. She has considered my recent disinterest in D&D and interest in other RPGs as a sign of growing up. Silly woman.
Of course, our gaming group also consists of a guy who brought his mother into the gaming fold.
Of course, our gaming group also consists of a guy who brought his mother into the gaming fold.
Tinner
First Post
My parents were leery at first when I was a kid. They had heard the bad press and were concerned. They were willing to give it a chance, and bought me a copy of Palladium's TMNT&OS. Dad sat down with me and my brother and rolled up a mutant kung-fu goose who proceeded to lay waste to criminal scum in New York City. He realized that this was just "let's pretend with dice" and never bothered me about gaming again.
Mom is still leery, not because of the bad press, but of the time and money wasted. She also find a lot of the monster pictures "gross".
Mom is still leery, not because of the bad press, but of the time and money wasted. She also find a lot of the monster pictures "gross".
Dread October
First Post
Well my parents are thrilled if I decide to talk to them at all so they tend to not give opinions about what I do for hobbies. My dad tries to show genuine interest in the lives of my friends who are all 30+ but it's through an Old Style induced haze. This is only an issue when he sees them once a year. It's good stuff.
The thing that I'm curious about is this:
I now run games for Hish School aged kids and when I started doing this I figured that their parents would want to know who the 35 yearold guy is that their kids are spending time with 2x per month for several hours at a time. I couldn't have been more wrong. Out of 10 kids, I have met 3 sets of parents and IIRC only on set has actually had a conversation with me greater than "Yeah, my kid is weird huh?"
This is a stunner to me. When I started gaming my parents went through that thing with the gamer stereotypes but after that, it was a big deal that they knew what I was doing and who with. Now, I have 10 kids who have cell phone and a good kick in the tail to just get out of the house. IS anyone else running games for kids and experiencing this?
Dread October
The thing that I'm curious about is this:
I now run games for Hish School aged kids and when I started doing this I figured that their parents would want to know who the 35 yearold guy is that their kids are spending time with 2x per month for several hours at a time. I couldn't have been more wrong. Out of 10 kids, I have met 3 sets of parents and IIRC only on set has actually had a conversation with me greater than "Yeah, my kid is weird huh?"
This is a stunner to me. When I started gaming my parents went through that thing with the gamer stereotypes but after that, it was a big deal that they knew what I was doing and who with. Now, I have 10 kids who have cell phone and a good kick in the tail to just get out of the house. IS anyone else running games for kids and experiencing this?
Dread October
MoogleEmpMog
First Post
Dread October said:
I've had the same experience as you (though I'm about ten years younger myself), and honestly I find it terribly sad and disturbing. It's nice that the parents aren't caught up in false impressions about roleplaying; it's awful that they apparently couldn't care less.
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