Something has changed during this summer holiday. As usual the kids are off for 6 weeks, but the youngest (now 7) has started playing more games and less with toys. Which means a battle for the TV.
Thankfully I have a Steam Deck, which frees up the Xbox for her. Also thankfully she has started to understand how to use the bloody thing and play the games herself without the constant need of me to help her.
I might sound embittered there, but in truth I love that we have another shared passion. My eldest (17) doesn’t want to be in the same room as us, let alone join us in activities. Yeah, he is at that age. If he isn’t at work, he is in his room playing Valorant. I don’t get the game, so it’s not for me at all.
My daughter spends most of her gaming time between Fall Guys and FIFA, playing Liverpool Women vs as many other women’s teams as possible. Namely as her obsession with football grows by the day. She is also very up for trying as many different games as possible, so with a giant Steam library she gets to play a whole bunch of the Indies I have on tap.
I do love seeing her get into gaming. But an issue she has is settling down. The sofa is at a weird angle to the TV and she won’t sit still on the floor for long. Which in turn can lead to her getting restless and frustrated, causing friction, with us living in a small flat.
So one of the best things I picked up was a fancy bean bag. This one from GreatBeanBags to be precise. For clarity, this bean bag was sent to me for free to test, but with no obligation to give any favourable reviews or anything. However I did want to touch on how good at has been for my daughter.
She uis autistic and ADHD, with sensory processing issues. She struggles with how clothes can feel on her. Often reverting to wearing football kits due to how light they are. The feel of being on the carpet can also cause issues, hence the restlessness. So when I got the beanbag through, my assumption was that it would be something she’d try and would then be stored away and ignored.
Yet, it has become her go to for relaxing at home. Whether it be sat watching a movie, playing the Xbox, having time on the Steam Deck, or even reading a book or using her phone. It has kept it’s shape well and feels quality. Whilst I couldn’t say it is worth the premium price to everyone. It has definitely been better than previous cheaper versions I’ve tried over the years.
So it does give a very relaxed auDHD child at times. But why is that important? Well my partner works nights and needs to get some sleep during the day, especially with my daughter doing goalkeeper or football 5-7 days a week. So we need to keep her busy during the day so as not to bother her Mum whilst she sleeps.
With movies being a very passive thing, it does require something more involved to keep her attention throughout the day. Because of my health issues, I struggle to get her out the flat on my own. Therefore it is things indoors that dominate.
The Xbox gets most attention as stated earlier, but the Steam Deck has also been a life saver. There are so many great games she has access to and can just kick back with. Which this year in particular has allowed us to also have the Euros and now the Olympics on in the background.
The only issue, is that as someone who loves games themselves, I find my gaming time absolutely decimated, picking up moments where I can. Usually when everyone else is in bed, I can settle down with a game. The problem? Tiredness, or finding something I can just pick up and get straight in to.
I too have AuDHD and given choice, I will get a bit of paralysis and end up scrolling the library undecided on what to actually get into.
Linkito, Balatro, Super Woden GP II, The Garden Path, Anger Foot, Conscript, Train Sim World and more are all fantastic, but choosing what to pay is the real end boss. Or I can look at many games I have ready to go. Kingdom Hearts, A Plague Tale, Dead Island 2, Psychonauts 2, Sam & Max: The Devils Playhouse, Dungeons of Hinterberg all great, but wanting to start something meaty right now fills me with dread.
I have played and finished a bunch of shorter games such as The Operator, Thank Goodness You’re Here, Clickolding, etc and I am so grateful that we have so much choice.
If I have one bit of advice if you find your gaming time reduced during the school summer holidays. It would be to pick the following:
2 x Daily Games
1 x Short Game
1 x Big Game
So for me this week I have been playing. Balatro, Linkito, A Star Named EOS and Creatures of Ava. Which takes a lot of the choice away and allows me to just decide the type of game I am in the mood for and limiting the choice, having the decision already made for me.
Now that might not work for everyone, but it does for me and I fully suggest finding a system for yourself if your time is limited, because… with the kids off school, the heat of the summer and horrid situations all over the world and the UK right now, the ability to escape and unwind is more important than ever.
Gaming is only part of it too. If you have a community you can turn to, then do use it. We have a Discord you can join, or our twitter. But not just us, find a community of something you are interested in. Find a network of people you can be part of, in real life or online.
Sorry this article is a bit all over the place. I did have a plan, but I sat down and just wrote whatever came into my mind. I think it was meant to be a piece about games that are great to play whilst the kids are home, but then went places. Especially as I have the news on as I write and it is hard not to cry at the state of things.
To end with a bit of positivity. If you have found that something that makes you happy, whatever it may be, grab it and embrace it. Because right now whatever joy we can get will keep us going and make the world a little brighter.
