Gaming with children

Do you ever play a game with your child or I should ask: are you gaming with them?
One of my children always loved playing games on the computer. Only a few years old she spent time playing and at the age of two years old she fought with me who was, in turn, using it, using it at the office. It was me of course and if some time was left it was her turn.
One of the first games we played were dos games. Duke Nukem and Wolfenstein. Both have something in common you walk around, try to remember where you are, have been, and shoot the enemy before he shoots you. Out of ammo means you can kick instead and after you killed someone you run over him to take the gun and ammo (better be prepared for the next one ready to shoot you). There are spots where you can find a first aid kid or food. Both good to keep yourself in great condition, something I need.
I never came as far as my child who seemed to not only have a great memory but easily walks through rooms, found the hidden places, and walked from one room to the next to finish the game within an hour or so. This ability always remained. She's a gamer till today and a collector of consoles. No matter the game it didn't turn her into an aggressive person, a killer. It's still the same person, introvert, intelligent, beating those who play with her which is if it comes to me not that difficult if you see me play Mario cart.

"Do you like to play a game with me tomorrow?"
It's as if history repeats itself it's only 15 years.
"Okay."
A whole list of games is mentioned.
"You don't like to play games", the youngest says, " you won't like it you hate rollercoaster's".
"I could play something else."
I said "yes" and tomorrow I'll see how or what.

The child found Duke Nukem3d. Did I really play this game once? My vision is terrible but I get used to it. Like in the old days I walk like a drunk and bump into walls. It turns out not completely to be my fault the application was a dos version and it's changed a bit. I shoot at a fan, jump through it, fall and kill my first monster, and manage to open a door. Did I kick it open?
"I can kick and know how to open a door!"
"Interesting", the kid says and takes over and plays.
Once in a while, it needs my finger to press the A to be able to jump.
I guess this means gaming together? The child takes over as soon as it gets interesting? I can't remember it worked the same way years ago.

I can play for a while alone because the child is distracted and is doing something else. Apparently, gaming together is satisfying too if I do it alone. After I have been killed twice within five minutes I want to quit but decide to play on a bit longer. Like a snail, I move around and try to remember where I am and where I can find those health kits, ammo, and when the monsters are showing themselves. There's something seriously wrong with the gun or Duke. He always points about one meter to the left! I am not quite sure what Duke Nukem looks like but if you ask me it's a disabled version of Arnold Schwarzenegger with a broken arm.

Day 1
Time for the next game.
"You need to start a logistic company", the child explains.
"What is it you want?"
After he gave me a face I don't like and typed the name of my company I can pick the location. Water in the neighborhood sounds like a smart idea. My first ship is bought by my child who clicks on and announces I have to start all over again because I am bankrupt.
"How can I be bankrupt I haven't even played".
"You played".
"I didn't play I just sat there while you..."
The youngest smirks...
"Now I know why you don't like to play."

"Well, you can play now. You can try it out a bit yourself."
I pick a new face and a new name. Suri Nam it is. I will start with buses and later I buy trains. A bit strange I need to build the streets as well. It turns out I have a loan of 100.000 £. I better pay off 10.000.
After I bought two trains, paid for the railroads as well I am out of money but my train earns.

While I am in the South part of the water my child is in the west part. A debt of 300.000 £ but with it has a ship and planes (when will the economical crises start? and airplanes and many people waiting for the bus).

"I can run the time faster so you have money faster too but only if it's single-player."

I am switched off and the child plays on an seems to have fun. My amount increases fast I already have 50.000 £. It's just time flies too. It's no longer 1970 but 1990.
Tomorrow I can pay my loan off at the bank and start building.
Buying busses, trains, a station, telling the vehicles which route they should take, curves in a road, are all made by the child because I have no idea how to do it.

Day 2
In the afternoon I decide to have a look at my transport company. It takes long, very long to start the game and the child feels annoyed.
"Can't you do it yourself?"
"Can't you explain how to do it or at least write it down?"
The youngest smirks again...

"You have to click "start new game".
Why should I start a new game? Where is my game?" I am getting suspicious?
"It's not here... oh wait it is but it is saved at the moment you stopped."
"Where is my money?"
"It's there, I already paid off your debts."
"I thought it wasn't possible."
"I found an option on how to do it and we can send each other money too."
"Did you pay it off with your money?"
"No, but I bought a part of your company."

......

"What?! I want my company back."
"It's not possible."

It turns it is and I am out of money. The game I started completely changed. My small villages with 28 houses grew, my buses are old and broke and the mine closed down and my train keeps driving up and down without any reason.

"Did you cheat on me?"

Now I have a smiling child and a smirking one! The idea of gaming together isn't the social aspect but the fact there's an extra trigger, someone to cheat on and rob. By now it's 2002 and my company only has 5 or 6 buses and 3 trains plus a new loan but I am not getting older. We have our own currency the SuriPhil. Its value is as strong as the £. I only need to find a way to beat Dr. Phil the thief who thinks buying my company and earning this way is a smart idea.

"Alright, how much money you want?"

I am still not able to play this game on my own. I struggle with the curves in the road but finally manage to buy new buses and plan the route they need to drive on my own. That means after I kept asking and bothering my child.

"How come you can't do it yourself already", it shouts.

"Because you didn't give me a chance to do it myself and I can not see what you are doing."

"Yeah, the game isn't very clear."

"It's not the game but my vision. I told you I can't see it and if you don't want to teach me do not ask me to play with you."

The child backs off, I play on and pay off a bit of the new loan I had to take to build some roads in a lost part of the desert.

#kittywu #parenting #gaming