What about Parents?

[Ampolitor]

my parents

my father was the one who actually bought me the first purple box! My parents were divorced but neither one cared about what we did as long as we were safe and we stayed out of trouble. As for the neighberhood kids we all played my brothers friends included as a matter of fact Aurora gypsy was one of my players for a time. In high school we played mostly in the winter especially when the weather was bad, we would pull an all nighter. My parents and most of my friends loved it because we were safe, inside and not wandering around getting into trouble!

 

[Queen_Dopplepopolis]

My mother - the crazy alcoholic - has always just sort of laughed at my hobby. She sort of shakes her head and says, "you're such a nerd." Generally accepting.

My father - the oblivious - still can't wrap his brain around the fact that Dungeons and Dragons isn't a nintendo game.

 

[jasper]

my parents did not care. Except of one time the younger brother of one my players was being discussing. I have familes which play any where from helping me roll dice for the monsters so the monsters can beat daddy to the whole family games and father and son dm.

 

[megamania]

My parents never had an issue with it. They know me and know i will make the better decision. This doesn't say they understand it- they just accept it. Since my father has based away. My mother sometimes tries to have me explain the game to her "Interactive storytelling with the rolling of dice to settle random events of chance" which she just nods and then gives me money for birthday or x-mas to use.

My sister has little knowledge or interest either.

My brother thinks it is "evil" and unfortunately, back in the mid-ninties he had the internet and surfed for me. Everything under DnD was sex, cult or other things that have little do with the game.

The In-Laws .... well until about 10 years ago, my wife's mother had only left the state's border (keep in mind- this Vermont) a few times and never more than 1/2 hour drive away. Dinner used to suck since all they ever talked about was steers, farm equipment and other 4H stuff. I always wanted to ask them about a world event just to change the subject. "You mean Riussia isn't our enemy anymore?!?" is what I expected. I just don't bring up the subject with her family.

Neighbors look at me with suspicion.

All I have to say is quote Robert Frost-

"Fences make for the best Neighbors" (sorry if I butchered that)

 

[Seeten]

My parents didnt understand but did the "Better D&D then out drinking and drug using" thing.

 

[eris404]

Well, my parent despise this hobby, that indeed they consider for kids, and for stupid lazy kids at that. And I am old, with ex-wife and daughter... But they won't tell me about it (and I don't tell them about it), since they know I won't tolerate their comments. Now I will bitterly say that if as a child they had shown me something else than a dull and petty side to life, I would probably had been less fascinated by RPGs. Plus I wouldn't have had to spend so much money to the Psychoanalyst... Sniff...

Is that really true? I'm really sorry if it is. My mom was the one who bought me D&D stuff when I was a kid. I saw it in a magazine and wanted it and she really encouraged anything that she perceived as being imaginative and educational. I didn't always get along with my mom, but at least she tried to be encouraging. It makes me very sad when people who don't get it react like how you describe. Life's too short for that.

 

[Darth K'Trava]

People fear what they don't know anything about and take close whatever is told them about a particular thing, be it good or bad. I had my aunt make a comment towards my mom (who didn't hear it) about watching out for her back (alluding to the D&D murders from a number of years ago..) :\ I don't think the aunt understands but she doesn't meddle fortunately.... She also didn't like me mentioning one time about Motley Crue songs.... Go figure.......

 

[Philip]

Well, I guess I actually got a bit of a different story. I got my first RPG game when I was 13. DM-ing felt like my thing, now I just needed players. So I drafted my father, a few friends and the father of one of the friends to play.

We played for like 4 or 5 years together, 2 parents, 3 of their children (between 1 and 4 years younger than me) and me. Great times.

Here in Holland I never noticed bad press, let alone religious arguments against playing.

When I introduced the game in highschool a year later, almost half of our class wanted to play in my game. I played like 2-3 days a weeks and had a great time. I guess since the 'cool kids' were among the first ones I drafted into my game, it didn't carry any social stigma or nerd-like image. It was just like the latest fad.

The teachers had trouble understanding what went on though. Especially since we sometimes played during classes (we had a quite liberal school).

 

[JamesDJarvis]

My parents are fine with RPGs. My dad is a rgular player in my Wednesday night games.

My grandfather, two of my uncles, my brother, my mother, my 1st wife and my son of all played D&D. So no problems at home with the game at all.