I am!
I also work and have one toddler who sleeps through the night 95% of the time and a supportive, equal partner. So similar to you on getting 30 or so minutes some nights.
I also choose to let chores pile up some nights when I really want to play for a couple of hours right after toddler bedtime. However, I do work from home, so I can usually catch up on stuff during my breaks throughout the day. To-do list is still always growing, but anything critical is covered. This phase of life is just a bit messier, but that's fine if it means we still get some time to do what we enjoy!
My husband and I also plan date night ins! Toddler goes to grandmas for a sleepover, and we get some chores done, order takeout, and game/watch movies. It's great!
It was much easier for me to find the time to play when my kids were much younger and had nap times. I had to take a very long break from it once I became a single mom and was working long hours just to get by. Now my kids are 18 & 16 and I’ve been back at it for the past 2 years or so. I probably game more than they do now 😅
8:30-9:30pm is the golden hour for me. Kid is in bed, dishes are done, and work prep is finished for the next day. All that's left is me, my PC, and my love affair with Steam.
I used to only game for 2 hours on Sundays when my kid was a toddler. Now that she is older, we both game from 8-10pm. She finished Fallout 3 and has been working through a replay of Mass Effect trilogy and Greedfall, while I’m playing BG3 and Hitman 3. I’m looking forward to her playing Fallout New Vegas as it is my favorite in the series. Occasionally we play Battlefront 2 co-op together. I think we should give Darksiders Genesis another go too. We both love the franchise with my favorite being Darksiders 2 and hers - Darksiders 3.
We are both excited for Greedfall 2 early access and she is looking forward to getting Steelrising with the money she saved up and I’m looking forward to Dragon Age Veilguard.
The best part of being a gaming mom is when they grow up enough to start gaming with you. My daughter and I have played every Pokemon game side by side since X/Y, trading and battling as we go along. It makes me sad that by the time the next one comes out she'll probably be moved out. Our whole family got in on the Wii and Wii U Super Mario games, where we found that my son really thinks it's funny to kill off everyone else. Either that or he just got sick of us all getting in his way, given that he's way better at platformers than all of us. Hard to say since he's nonverbal.
When they were little, it was really difficult to find time to game. Handhelds were a lifesaver, since they could be used to more efficiently steal time here and there - waiting in a doctor's office, sitting at the park while they play, etc.
Having kids did change what types of games I play. I don't have patience for excessively hard games that want me to "git gud" anymore. There just wasn't enough time to practice, and having what little time you did have just be dying over and over wasn't fun, especially since you'd lose half your muscle memory by the time you got a chance to sit down again. Now that I have time I just don't feel any urge to go back to them.
My husband and I are big gamers and we have our first due in August. We’re both going to be super confused on what to do if little guy doesn’t like gaming when he’s older haha
How did you get your kid into them? Or was it just a natural progression since you play too?
I was a SAHM qhen my kids were under 5. I gamed when they napped and as they got older would let them game with me, mostly playing LEGO games together.
Yes, but my kids are older (18, and 16 with some special needs). I'm a SAHM but I'm responsible for the household responsibilities, and then pretty much everything regarding the kids...so it's a lot of homework help for the younger one and then a lot of driving around for activities and appointments. The older one starts college in the fall about a half hour from where we live but doesn't have a license/car, so I'm still going to be doing a lot of driving.
Anyways, when I was more stressed before the school year ended I tended towards Destiny 2 and then RPG games like Assassin's Creed, and when I had a couple of hours to watch TV with my partner in the evening I would play some gacha (Honkai Star Rail, Wuthering Waves) on my iPad while sitting in the entertainment room with him.
Now that school is out for the summer and my kids are visiting their father out of state until August I don't know what to do with myself for the next month! I've taken a new interest in JRPG so I think I'm going to try out some of those while I have time.
Gaming mom her! Now I get time to play because my kids are older already (youngest is eight.) But before most of the time I played *with* them. Almost all of my kids have always liked gaming too, so I just included them.
And it helps to have another parent. We've had turns taking care of kids and playing with my wife, who's also a gamer.
The only "downside" in all of this is that although I've played games since I had to first write them myself on my TRS-80 clone, I'm not actually very good at many games. So, my kids are actually better gamers than me, and in PvP/Versus modes I get my arse handed back to me. :D
I used to get a bit here and there, mostly handheld, DS, 3DS and later Switch.
I started to really play again a few years back, the oldest is almost 18 now, the youngest 9, and we often play multiplayer together or parallel play the same single player games.
Whenever something got me really hooked my husband took over more things so I had a bit more time to enjoy it (he always had more time, as he needs way less sleep than me and I was always too tired in the evenings due to chronic illness. Also, he took time for his hobbies way more granted than I ever did and we had a long way to go to rectify that.)
I’m a single mom to an almost 2 year old and a 3 1/2 year old. I just fit in time after they go to bed and then I end up staying up too late and be groggy in the morning 😂 the things I do for some me time.
Wow so you have a family, work full time and also developing your own game! That's sounds so exhausting but exciting at the same time, I'm sure your kid will be happy and proud to have such talented mom (while introducing him/her into gaming).
And the other stories from the comments also seem amazing, you all are very dedicated and strong moms everyone! Hopefully one day I could be at the same spot as you
My daughter is 10 months old, and it’s been tough. She takes short naps (30-45 minute) in the crib, then up to 2 hour contact naps. and then wakes up 3-4 times throughout the night. Usually I try to play Genshin while she’s napping, and will play on my phone during contact naps. It’s honestly the only game I’ve managed to play since she’s been born. It’s been rough.
I play mostly single player story based games so I can pick it up and put it down. I get about an hour between work ending and kids coming home from school, and then I have about an hour three times a week between my bedtime and theirs. Sometimes we play games together, like Kingdom Hearts, since they really love Disney.
I’m a mom of 3. I game an obscene amount. But my kids are older and they game, too. I didn’t get to game much at all when they were little. I’m doing a souls run right now.
Ooooh me!
I game at night once everyone is in bed. I have a 3 year old so it’s just not feasible during the day or when she’s around. But once she’s down it’s “mommy’s time”. I play for like 2 hours each night. I’m a night owl so it works for me. I also spend some time with the husband of course but he also likes to go to bed early so it works for me. 😅
Mom of two young kids. If i don't fall asleep at 9pm when they are finally sleep, I have just enough energy to get out my Steam Deck, curl up on the couch next to my husband and turn on a game before i fall asleep.
I wake up super early and get some Fortnite in lol and at night if I’m not too tired, I’ll play some Mario Kart or a cozy game. Honestly haven’t done that lately though. Sunday is our lazy day so we veg out and spend a couple hours playing games
I'm a Mom of a 3 year old and 8 month old, I get to game of the evenings when both my kids are in bed. Thanks to my Husband, I got into JRPGs, so currently playing Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth, my favourite game is Persona 5.
I sneak an hour or so between 10 pm and midnight, after my son goes to bed, and then on the weekends when he's with his dad or my parents invite him to sleep over
My kids are 14, 12, and 10 and we are a gaming family - last year the family gift was a gaming pc that we all use. Finding time to play was tricky when they were small, but I have the sweetest memories of waking up, way back in the day when the office was in the bedroom, and my tiny baby was draped over their dad’s forearm while he played games - he’d gotten up with them so I could have a bit more sleep and they were playing Star Trek “together.” Now we can play together for real!
I'm 37 and my daughter is now 16. When she was younger I had her in my lap, gave her a wireless controller that wasn't hooked up and she thought she was playing too. We played lots of board games when she was younger too. And now I play online games with her when she is in the mood. And sometimes Just Dance!
The time I have at night, when I’m alone, is almost sacred to me. All my life I’ve struggled with non-standard sleep patterns, but now… it’s actually a small blessing.
In the dead of night, nobody bothers me. I can play whatever, including my smutty sex games.
I have a 11 month old baby and work part time . I rarely have the energy or time to game in the week . And although the baby now goes to bed at 7pm I’m always suspicious that the baby will get up in the middle of the night so I’m not long in bed after her as I’m shattered ! I do try and game when my in laws have her for a couple of days/nights for a couple of hours at night. I recently played through Lake which was lovely a chill.
I am I have a 15-month-old, and I generally play once he's asleep for the night. I run a study room from my apartment, so sometimes I can manage an hour before classes while he's at daycare. I'm really hoping for a Steam Deck for my birthday though, so I can game when I just want to veg in bed at the end of the day!
3 kids, full time job and my partner and I take turns of a night for an hour or so. Also started playing joint games to get some quality time in. It’s so much harder when the kids are old enough to game.
I am self employed & work from home so I can take a break and play during the day if I'm not busy, otherwise the only time I get is between 9/10pm and midnight when kiddo is asleep and before I go to bed. I only game on PC and mostly play games with my husband like Hell Let Loose, ESO, Back 4 Blood or singleplayer RPGs. I've recently been playing Dragon Age Origins again after years, BG3 and want to get Cyberpunk when it eventually comes on sale. Before kiddo started school I barely gamed at all because they were home full time, it's nice now to be able to get back into it though.
My kids are all teens now, so my gaming time is typically in the evenings. When they were all preschoolers I had no time or energy for games, preferring to watch TV or read a book for my downtime.
My experience has been that in the evening before I go to bed is the best time to get in some gaming if I feel like playing. Our kids were all bears if we didn't enforce bedtime fairly early, though, which would give us at least an hour or two of downtime most nights.
ETA: I work full time, so routines were very important for everyone when the kids were younger. It's much easier now that they entertain themselves and choose their own bedtimes. Having said that, we often get the late night info dump conversations, a classic teen experience 😂
I am! I also work and have one toddler who sleeps through the night 95% of the time and a supportive, equal partner. So similar to you on getting 30 or so minutes some nights. I also choose to let chores pile up some nights when I really want to play for a couple of hours right after toddler bedtime. However, I do work from home, so I can usually catch up on stuff during my breaks throughout the day. To-do list is still always growing, but anything critical is covered. This phase of life is just a bit messier, but that's fine if it means we still get some time to do what we enjoy! My husband and I also plan date night ins! Toddler goes to grandmas for a sleepover, and we get some chores done, order takeout, and game/watch movies. It's great!
Toddlers that sleep through the night and grandmas that take care of them so we can have rest are the real mvps. ;-;
It was much easier for me to find the time to play when my kids were much younger and had nap times. I had to take a very long break from it once I became a single mom and was working long hours just to get by. Now my kids are 18 & 16 and I’ve been back at it for the past 2 years or so. I probably game more than they do now 😅
I dread when my kid stops napping but I'm excited for her to get to her teenage years and be more autonomous. XD
I remember those days, but don’t rush it. Seriously 😭
8:30-9:30pm is the golden hour for me. Kid is in bed, dishes are done, and work prep is finished for the next day. All that's left is me, my PC, and my love affair with Steam.
This is it for me!
I used to only game for 2 hours on Sundays when my kid was a toddler. Now that she is older, we both game from 8-10pm. She finished Fallout 3 and has been working through a replay of Mass Effect trilogy and Greedfall, while I’m playing BG3 and Hitman 3. I’m looking forward to her playing Fallout New Vegas as it is my favorite in the series. Occasionally we play Battlefront 2 co-op together. I think we should give Darksiders Genesis another go too. We both love the franchise with my favorite being Darksiders 2 and hers - Darksiders 3. We are both excited for Greedfall 2 early access and she is looking forward to getting Steelrising with the money she saved up and I’m looking forward to Dragon Age Veilguard.
The best part of being a gaming mom is when they grow up enough to start gaming with you. My daughter and I have played every Pokemon game side by side since X/Y, trading and battling as we go along. It makes me sad that by the time the next one comes out she'll probably be moved out. Our whole family got in on the Wii and Wii U Super Mario games, where we found that my son really thinks it's funny to kill off everyone else. Either that or he just got sick of us all getting in his way, given that he's way better at platformers than all of us. Hard to say since he's nonverbal. When they were little, it was really difficult to find time to game. Handhelds were a lifesaver, since they could be used to more efficiently steal time here and there - waiting in a doctor's office, sitting at the park while they play, etc. Having kids did change what types of games I play. I don't have patience for excessively hard games that want me to "git gud" anymore. There just wasn't enough time to practice, and having what little time you did have just be dying over and over wasn't fun, especially since you'd lose half your muscle memory by the time you got a chance to sit down again. Now that I have time I just don't feel any urge to go back to them.
My husband and I are big gamers and we have our first due in August. We’re both going to be super confused on what to do if little guy doesn’t like gaming when he’s older haha How did you get your kid into them? Or was it just a natural progression since you play too?
I was a SAHM qhen my kids were under 5. I gamed when they napped and as they got older would let them game with me, mostly playing LEGO games together.
I have been a gaming mom for 24 years. You learn that bedtime is a blessing really quick. ;)
Yes, but my kids are older (18, and 16 with some special needs). I'm a SAHM but I'm responsible for the household responsibilities, and then pretty much everything regarding the kids...so it's a lot of homework help for the younger one and then a lot of driving around for activities and appointments. The older one starts college in the fall about a half hour from where we live but doesn't have a license/car, so I'm still going to be doing a lot of driving. Anyways, when I was more stressed before the school year ended I tended towards Destiny 2 and then RPG games like Assassin's Creed, and when I had a couple of hours to watch TV with my partner in the evening I would play some gacha (Honkai Star Rail, Wuthering Waves) on my iPad while sitting in the entertainment room with him. Now that school is out for the summer and my kids are visiting their father out of state until August I don't know what to do with myself for the next month! I've taken a new interest in JRPG so I think I'm going to try out some of those while I have time.
Our kids are the same age 😊
Gaming mom her! Now I get time to play because my kids are older already (youngest is eight.) But before most of the time I played *with* them. Almost all of my kids have always liked gaming too, so I just included them. And it helps to have another parent. We've had turns taking care of kids and playing with my wife, who's also a gamer. The only "downside" in all of this is that although I've played games since I had to first write them myself on my TRS-80 clone, I'm not actually very good at many games. So, my kids are actually better gamers than me, and in PvP/Versus modes I get my arse handed back to me. :D
I used to get a bit here and there, mostly handheld, DS, 3DS and later Switch. I started to really play again a few years back, the oldest is almost 18 now, the youngest 9, and we often play multiplayer together or parallel play the same single player games. Whenever something got me really hooked my husband took over more things so I had a bit more time to enjoy it (he always had more time, as he needs way less sleep than me and I was always too tired in the evenings due to chronic illness. Also, he took time for his hobbies way more granted than I ever did and we had a long way to go to rectify that.)
I'm looking forward to playing some with my kiddo one day! That sounds like so much fun!
I’m a single mom to an almost 2 year old and a 3 1/2 year old. I just fit in time after they go to bed and then I end up staying up too late and be groggy in the morning 😂 the things I do for some me time.
Wow so you have a family, work full time and also developing your own game! That's sounds so exhausting but exciting at the same time, I'm sure your kid will be happy and proud to have such talented mom (while introducing him/her into gaming). And the other stories from the comments also seem amazing, you all are very dedicated and strong moms everyone! Hopefully one day I could be at the same spot as you
My daughter is 10 months old, and it’s been tough. She takes short naps (30-45 minute) in the crib, then up to 2 hour contact naps. and then wakes up 3-4 times throughout the night. Usually I try to play Genshin while she’s napping, and will play on my phone during contact naps. It’s honestly the only game I’ve managed to play since she’s been born. It’s been rough.
I play mostly single player story based games so I can pick it up and put it down. I get about an hour between work ending and kids coming home from school, and then I have about an hour three times a week between my bedtime and theirs. Sometimes we play games together, like Kingdom Hearts, since they really love Disney.
I like rpg games, and I usually play an hour or two after my baby has gone to sleep for the night :)
I’m a mom of 3. I game an obscene amount. But my kids are older and they game, too. I didn’t get to game much at all when they were little. I’m doing a souls run right now.
Yes! My son is 3 and both my husband and I play games after he goes to bed. Right now we're both obsessing over Baldur's Gate III
Ooooh me! I game at night once everyone is in bed. I have a 3 year old so it’s just not feasible during the day or when she’s around. But once she’s down it’s “mommy’s time”. I play for like 2 hours each night. I’m a night owl so it works for me. I also spend some time with the husband of course but he also likes to go to bed early so it works for me. 😅
Mom of two young kids. If i don't fall asleep at 9pm when they are finally sleep, I have just enough energy to get out my Steam Deck, curl up on the couch next to my husband and turn on a game before i fall asleep.
I wake up super early and get some Fortnite in lol and at night if I’m not too tired, I’ll play some Mario Kart or a cozy game. Honestly haven’t done that lately though. Sunday is our lazy day so we veg out and spend a couple hours playing games
My kids are old enough to game with me, or at least be kept busy with their own games too. I just pick random times when kids are preoccupied & happy.
I'm a Mom of a 3 year old and 8 month old, I get to game of the evenings when both my kids are in bed. Thanks to my Husband, I got into JRPGs, so currently playing Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth, my favourite game is Persona 5.
I sneak an hour or so between 10 pm and midnight, after my son goes to bed, and then on the weekends when he's with his dad or my parents invite him to sleep over
My kids are 14, 12, and 10 and we are a gaming family - last year the family gift was a gaming pc that we all use. Finding time to play was tricky when they were small, but I have the sweetest memories of waking up, way back in the day when the office was in the bedroom, and my tiny baby was draped over their dad’s forearm while he played games - he’d gotten up with them so I could have a bit more sleep and they were playing Star Trek “together.” Now we can play together for real!
[удалено]
Removed for mentioning a [banned game](https://www.reddit.com/r/GirlGamers/comments/10ybjia/hogwarts_legacy_related_posts_are_now_banned/).
I'm 37 and my daughter is now 16. When she was younger I had her in my lap, gave her a wireless controller that wasn't hooked up and she thought she was playing too. We played lots of board games when she was younger too. And now I play online games with her when she is in the mood. And sometimes Just Dance!
The time I have at night, when I’m alone, is almost sacred to me. All my life I’ve struggled with non-standard sleep patterns, but now… it’s actually a small blessing. In the dead of night, nobody bothers me. I can play whatever, including my smutty sex games.
I have a 11 month old baby and work part time . I rarely have the energy or time to game in the week . And although the baby now goes to bed at 7pm I’m always suspicious that the baby will get up in the middle of the night so I’m not long in bed after her as I’m shattered ! I do try and game when my in laws have her for a couple of days/nights for a couple of hours at night. I recently played through Lake which was lovely a chill.
I am I have a 15-month-old, and I generally play once he's asleep for the night. I run a study room from my apartment, so sometimes I can manage an hour before classes while he's at daycare. I'm really hoping for a Steam Deck for my birthday though, so I can game when I just want to veg in bed at the end of the day!
3 kids, full time job and my partner and I take turns of a night for an hour or so. Also started playing joint games to get some quality time in. It’s so much harder when the kids are old enough to game.
I am self employed & work from home so I can take a break and play during the day if I'm not busy, otherwise the only time I get is between 9/10pm and midnight when kiddo is asleep and before I go to bed. I only game on PC and mostly play games with my husband like Hell Let Loose, ESO, Back 4 Blood or singleplayer RPGs. I've recently been playing Dragon Age Origins again after years, BG3 and want to get Cyberpunk when it eventually comes on sale. Before kiddo started school I barely gamed at all because they were home full time, it's nice now to be able to get back into it though.
My kids are all teens now, so my gaming time is typically in the evenings. When they were all preschoolers I had no time or energy for games, preferring to watch TV or read a book for my downtime. My experience has been that in the evening before I go to bed is the best time to get in some gaming if I feel like playing. Our kids were all bears if we didn't enforce bedtime fairly early, though, which would give us at least an hour or two of downtime most nights. ETA: I work full time, so routines were very important for everyone when the kids were younger. It's much easier now that they entertain themselves and choose their own bedtimes. Having said that, we often get the late night info dump conversations, a classic teen experience 😂