In Hindsight, This Was Inevitable...

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I knew it would come to this - I just didn't think it would happen this soon. As is my normal habit, I was on the computer for a bit last night playing Diablo II. My 3-year old son comes over and says, "Daddy, I want to play too." So I stuck him on my lap (he's a little too short to see over the edge of the desk without a boost) and lo and behold he actually has the ability to play the game. Not particularly well, but hey, he's 3 - what do you want? I will grant that Diablo is not a strategy intensive game, but I still don't think it's at a level that at 3 you'd "get it". The gaming gene has definitely been passed on to the next generation...

 

I played Tetris in the womb.

 

Maybe he'll solve your paladin/gloam problem. (Yes, I still follow the D2 htread. I have no idea why.)

I can't wait to read his detailed analyses of the various builds...

 

The learning curve is steep. My 6 year old son is way better than me at several computer games now, like Wii Sports and Crash Bandicoot and Mario Kart.

 

My 7 year old son has beaten StarCraft II. He kicks but on Medieval 2 Total War, and is doing really well learning his way around a computer. He's a fairly exceptional reader for his age, and that has been the key to enabling him to do so well with a lot of these challenging games. A couple of times during his StarCraft playthrough he came to me crying because he couldn't beat a particular level. I'd challenge him to think about some new tactics, and the whole rock-paper-scissor concept. He would then go away and dominate the level.

Me: "How'd you beat it."
Him: "I just did what you told me."

He's going to grow up to be a geek. There's no stopping it. I limit him to 90 minutes per day, and playing is a privilege, not a right. He has to do well in school, mind his parents, keep his room clean, etc to earn the privilege on a daily basis. Sometimes he gets some extra time on the weekends if he's particularly good.

My 3 year old is getting interested also. The two of them will sit and watch me play games sometimes in the evening. The little guy can navigate around on some of the kiddy websites like Thomas the Tank engine and handle some of the puzzle games there. It blows me away how their little brains can figure this stuff out.

 

I think I have never wanted a little copy of myself more than after reading this thread. Not that I want it particularly much but more than any other time!

 

You're still young joacqin - I can honestly say that when I was your age I wasn't particularly interested in becoming a father either. I did not become a father until I was well into my 30s, and even at that point, it was more because my wife really wanted a baby than me really wanting a baby. That said, I'm happy we did.

 

I am only six years younger than you, you are three years ahead of me in the child getting department. Thankfully I am a man and can pretty much wait indefinately until things actually feel right

 

Well, I'll be 37 this spring, but chances are you haven't had your birthday yet this year either. The point being, once you decide to have a kid you can get one in 9 months. So I was 33 when my son was born, meaning I was still two years older than you when my wife got pregnant. The point is, I wasn't too interested in having a kid when I was 30. I wasn't necessarily opposed to it, it just wasn't high on the to do list.

And you're completely right about men and kids, while there are benefits to women having kids when they are still in their 30s, I am not aware of any consequences of men having kids post-40. Heck, my wife's father was 44 when she was born. The point is, you're young enough that you have quite a bit of time yet. If you want to have a kid, you most likely will at some point.

 

I disagree entirely. My son is almost 7 and his sister is 6 months old. So over 6 years between them, when the plan was to have less than 2 years. It took about 5 years to get the second kid and I know SO many people who have some sort of trouble having kids. One of the biggest misconceptions (no pun intended) that people have is the assumption that you can just have a kid whenever you want. So very often, it just doesn't work that way. Never take your fertility for granted.

 

Teen Snook's first experince playing computer games with Dad was Might and Magic VI. He was in charge of the A (attack) and S (spell) keys while I ran around like a madman with the arrow keys. He also was around three and he still talks about that like it was the greatest thing ever. We started playing Diablo II over the LAN when he was around 5 or 6. At that age they have the perfect mentality for a barbarian. We also still laugh about that as some of his friends were banned from coming over as their parents were afraid they would play Mr. Snook's games.

 

I agree with you HB, that this is a problem for many, many people. At the same time, too much fertility can also be a curse, where despite taking realistic measures to avoid getting pregnant, the babies keep coming.

Case in point: my family. My wife is sans one ovary due to a scuffle she had in 'Nam a few years back, which we won't get into here. We always use protection. Yet, in spite of deciding only to have 2 children, we have our 3rd on the way in just a few weeks. I like to call my wife Fertile Myrtle. Having too many children is a real problem for some families.

Consequently, in about 4 hours I'll be in a doctor's office getting my Vas Deferens snipped. I've managed to get excited about boy child number 3, but so help me God, if my wife ever comes and tells me number 4 is on the way, I'm driving my car right off a cliff. Today's little procedure isn't just about keeping the size of my family under control... it's about prolonging my own life.

@Aldeth, we are pretty much the same age. I'll be 37 in May. Sounds so old.

 

I cannot dispute that. Just because I haven't had much trouble doesn't mean I should generalize that to everyone. Let me paraphrase my previous statement: Chances are, if you want a kid, you'll get one eventually, unless you or your partner are sterile. If joa waits another 10 years or so, chances are he'll have to hook up with a hottie several years younger than himself for best results, but guys pretty much produce sperm until they die.

Not just pretty much - nearly exactly. My birthday is May 25th.

 

Well then hello, fellow Taurus.

 

I used to be a Gemini until they freaking switched the signs around - but I guess a bull is better than twins, so I can't complain much.

 

They didn't switch the signs around! SERIOUSLY!

 

25 May isn't Taurus. It's Gemini. Not that I care about that nonsense anyway.

 

My 4, 5 and 10 year old neighbors beats me hands down during the Family Computer game days. And watching some young kids (6-12 year-olds) play RTS and FPS games, I know I stand zero chance against them in those games.

 

My apologies - I always thought I was a Gemini, until I saw something with this snake-handler dude being added to the signs that bumped a lot of people to another sign - if they didn't change anything, than yeah - I'm still a Gemini.