How to fit in gaming around life

Gaming can be a solitary past time if you play a video games, or certain types of games.  Being a parent, it can be hard to find time for your own and to fit your hobbies in.  Between work, household duties, parental duties, and things that just come up day to day it can be hard to say I am going to game.

Sometimes we say forget it I am taking the time to game, or whatever other hobby, and the guilt comes in. The thing is, finding time for YOU, and what you enjoy is really essential to being productive, and being a pleasant person to be around.  So, how do we fit it in?

Here are my tips for fitting in gaming around your life:

1. Family game time - I know that sometimes this isn't as enjoyable for parents as we want to think it can be. But if we make time for it when they are young, and just make it part of the family time, as they grow up, and learn how to play by the rules, and understand the games, it will really be a time you treasure! I know sometimes I have so much fun playing as a family, and sometimes it can be like "Why did I want to do this again?" But 99.9% of the time, my boys had a great time!

2. Play after the kids are in bed - I know I know you are thinking, yeah right, like I don't have enough things to do when they are in bed. But what you need to do is ensure everyone is helping in the house before the kids go to bed. If everyone helps clear their spot, and the table, someone washes it. One person empties the dishwasher, another loads, or a few wash, dry, put away, and everyone chips in, then you aren't stuck doing it all after bed time. Then you can sit and relax.

3. Set a timer and play instead of other work - Feeling stress, overwhelmed, and over worked? Looking around the house and things are totally piling up and you feel like crawling in a whole?  Get a timer. Set it for 5, 10, 30, or 60 minutes. Whatever works for you.  Start the timer, and play. Then when it goes off, either start it again and work, or just hop up and work. I start it again, and work. When it goes off, I go play!  Rinse, and repeat!

4. Get kids gaming - This is a different version of family game time, instead of playing together, get everyone gaming, but separately so you can make progress on your own game. Sometimes I set the boys to their iPods, or board games they can play together, or on one gaming system, and I play on my laptop. We are all gaming, but getting our own space, and quiet time as well.  Kids need breaks from us too. OR you can always set them off to play and you can play your games.

5. Make it a date night - Hubby and I don't necessarily like playing the same games, but we either find a game we can both play together, or we will play something like Lara Croft where I can help him figure out the puzzles, while he does the controlling.  Deanna (my partner on this blog), goes to board game nights with her hubby at a local gaming store.  They go and play with other board game loving peeps, kid free! 

Do you have any other ways to fit in gaming?