Role-Playing - A Family Affair

As The Almighty Geek, I have been role-playing since the age of twelve.  A family friend introduced it to me, via Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 2^nd Edition, and I became hooked instantly.  I would spend my allowance on dice and resources and would spend hours reading, writing adventures, creating monsters, and role-playing with my friends.  I would long for the weekends when I could go to my friend’s house and pull an “all-nighter” battling evil.

My father was a bit skeptical at first, being a devout Southern Baptist, but he tried to be supportive.  He let it be, and once he had me try my hat as a Dungeon Master and run him through an adventure.  I had a blast.  I was spending time with my father doing something I loved.  It only happened once, unfortunately, as my father later resumed his, “Dungeons & Dragons is of the devil!” stance.

Bonding With Your Kids

Some parents, like my father, don’t realize what an optimum opportunity this can be to bond with your children.  Role-playing in and of itself stimulates conversation.  It can be said that conversation is the very core of role-play, since you can role-play without books, dice, or anything material.  All you need is your imagination.  Because of this, you can play wherever and whenever you wish.  You don’t need a TV, a video game console, or a telephone.

For younger children you can utilize the “storyline” style of role-play with your children.  Help them create a hero, and then tell them stories about “their” hero.  Include them by asking questions, that when answered, add to the story.  You might find yourself doubled over with laughter when the brave knight pulls out his magic Twizzler, vanquishes the ogre, and saves the village of fairies that make flashlights (Darn that ogre for trying to steal their flashlights!).

If your children happen to be “tweens” or teens play as normal, but try to play to their current interests.  For instance, if your daughter loves the CW’s, “Vampire Diaries” or <sigh> the Twilight Series, find a role-playing game about vampires or werewolves. Be versatile, be prepared, and be ready for questions that deal with issues both in game, and in real life. Think about it. When you gamed with your buddies in college was the adventure all you talked about while you played? You may just find yourself answering some serious life questions for your child through their characters that they may not have felt comfortable talking to you about outside of the game.

Other Benefits

There are several other benefits to playing role-playing games with your kids.  Here are a few more.

• Helps stimulate creativity and imagination - This is, after all, a role-playing game. While reading a story your child may try to envision in their mind what is going on.  The same rules apply in game, only here it’s your job to paint the story with your words.
• Helps with reading, writing, and arithmetic - Role-playing games have rules and books that clearly detail how the rules work.  Character creation is outlined precisely, and highlighted by stories and anecdotes.  Your child can read up on these rules, in the Player’s Handbook, or you can read them together.  This not only promotes reading but, more importantly, reading comprehension.  You can go over the rules to make sure your child understands what he or she is reading. Ask your child to write his/her character out on a piece of paper and offer an in game reward if he/she writes a small background story and history for their character.   In role-playing games you create a character or avatar which is defined by mathematical statistics.  Combat and skills use mathematics to determine whether an attack lands, or a skill is passed. This often entails addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Your kid is learning but they don’t know it because they are too busy having fun!
• Helps with socialization - As your child plays his/her character he/she will encounter NPC’s (non-player characters) and hopefully other players.  As the game progresses he/she may develop friendships or enemies with other characters or encounter a need to deal with a shop keep, etc. You can show your child how to respond to real life events and social encounters via role-playing.
• Promotes goal building - Every character in a game has both short and long-term goals.  If your child is persistent and overcomes the character’s obstacles, they may learn to overcome obstacles in real life. This is your opportunity as a parent to teach them the right way to overcome them.
• Promotes dreams - What do I mean by this? In a fantasy or sci-fi setting anything is possible. This can rub off on your child in real life as well. Maybe instead of sitting in the living room playing Madden NFL, they will join a local or school football team.  Maybe, just maybe, their dream is to go from being the kid who played role-playing games with their parents to being a real-life NFL all-star.  Dreaming big may start in game, but it can grow into a reality.

So, for the “naysayer” or those who may be sitting on the fence, let me remind you of this.  Kids love Sci-fi and fantasy.  Despite what we may think, it’s not passé or “old school”.  Don’t believe me? Look at how well Harry Potter did.  It’s not only a movie series, or a collection of novels, it’s a HUGE marketing franchise. It even has its own D20 role-playing game Harry Potter Role-playing Game.  Please don’t make me repeat myself about the Twilight books and movies and their great success.  I am sure most of you have heard of the Chronicles of Narnia book series by C.S. Lewis.  My dad read them as a kid, I read them as a kid, you may have read them as a kid, and the movies are even popular today. The first book in the series was written in 1949!  Just because it’s old doesn’t mean it’s outdated.  After all, it’s new to your kids!

If I missed anything about the benefits of gaming with your children, or as a family, feel free to add a comment, especially if your family already plays a role-playing game together and you would like to share your experience.  If you are a parent, grab your old gaming books, blow the dust off them, and invite your kids to a game.  If you do not currently have any resources, head to your nearest hobby shop or gaming store and grab the basics: a player’s handbook for the role-playing game of your choice, some dice, and a prewritten adventure or two.  Stop wondering about how to connect with your kids.  Shut down the PC, turn off the TV, grab your kids and your gaming gear, and start role-playing with your family.