Monday, July 30, 2012

Dice and Kids

I think my two girls share my affinity for all things dice.  They are constantly bugging me to play with them, and they've begun to ask about the games that are played using them.  My oldest has even picked up a game book or two (since she can read extraordinarily well for her age) and has flipped through them.  I believe she tried reading Gary Gygax's introduction to the 1E DMG the other day, since that book was laying out.  Naturally, the robust word choice foiled her attempt.

This leaves me facing a conundrum.  The oldest is definitely old enough to play a roleplaying game with Dad and be able to understand the basics, but the youngest, well, she hasn't learned all her letter sounds yet.  I would love to start them off with a nice, girl-oriented, fairy or Oz type of game, and make it very easy for kids to understand, but I'm not sure I want to frustrate my youngest.  I may wait.  She is going to be a stubborn one, and she hates to learn if it bores her, and it does most of the time.  The oldest is the exact opposite - she's a sponge.  It's amazing that two kids 15 months apart are that different.  And for sure I'd have to keep violent conflict out of it at such a young age.  Not only do I not want them to think that is a way to resolve a problem, they just wouldn't understand it.  We don't let them watch television with violence in it, so they're very unaccustomed to seeing it in any more detail than Tom & Jerry or Looney Tunes.  I mean, I even turn off wrestling if it gets too bad (or vulgar, but that's another matter) - they've never even seen MMA and they're not allowed toy guns (and those of you who know what Anabaptists/Mennonites believe about violence, that's us, and that's why).

Any of you dads out there - how've you handled the young 'uns?  How did you deal with kids that couldn't read much or wanted to play with Dad but the game was beyond their understanding as far as the rules?  I know there's a few of you out there who have used roleplaying as family time, which I think would be amazing, but for the hurdles involved.

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