Is it over for me?

[Tonym]

from watching a few guys i know start families fun, games, toys, car cruises, late nights and buying cool things all came to an abrupt hault soon after. if marriage didnt put the finishing touch on it then the kids sure did

live-in girl friend, getting married and kids are so far to the bottom of my to-do list you wouldnt believe it. just because i like all those other things way too much

 

[JeffC]

My wife gave birth to our first on November 17th. Needless to say, for the last 6 weeks all hobbies, including arcade, have been completely on hold. My games haven't been turned on at all, and I've only checked KLOV a handful of times.

But...I can already see how I'll eventually be able to make time. We started off constantly tired; getting no more than two hours of sleep at a time. Waking hours were spent trying to figure out feeding, burping, changing, or keeping up with laundry and shopping and housework. It was exhausting. Very quickly though, we've starting to get routines in place, the baby is sleeping more, and we're getting longer and longer pieces of free time back.

I know I'll be out playing games soon, and hope to get another restoration going in the more distant future. That's the great thing about this hobby; you can break away whenever you need to, and always come back to it.

My daughter in her "Power to the People!!" pose:

 

[VectorAddict]

I bought my first game (Black Knight) in 1998, when I found out I had a son on the way. 12 years later, I've got 20+ games. I agree with what others are saying - you may have to take a break for a while to assemble cribs and buy diaper genies, but the games will be there waiting.

 

[mc300baud]

my son is 3 1/2 and i've bought the vast majority of my games (and a house for them to fit in) since he was born; a kid certainly doesn't have to be the end.

like several have said, it's probably a good idea to put the hobby on the back burner for a while. don't get away from it entirely, but do small things, maybe sell a machine or two that you don't really play anymore. once the kid has been born and you've had a few months to figure out your finances and free time (of which you can make some!) then take another look at where you want to go with it.

 

[Dr Galaga]

Yea Mike, some things will change. My wife still lets me have my game time since my daughter was born, but she does give me a hard time sometimes. For some reason she will not let me swap the Centipede in my basement for the Asteroids that is in my in-laws basement. They are both mine and it will not cost anything extra...but for some reason I can't make the swap!
My daughter is now almost 2 years old and likes hanging out in the 'cade. It's probably since she like the lights and the Jiffy Pop! She really enjoys putting the tokens in the slots and tried some pinball, but gets bored after a couple of balls.
Congrats on the future little one, and as Jeff said...Game Day!!!!!

 

[Dr Galaga]

Dang Mike! I just checked out your VAPS entry; your collection sure has grown over the past year. I say game day at the Hasenfang house!

 

[Braido]

Your wife is "nesting." She'll be unreasonable during this time. Just roll with it, as it will pass in time.

- M1A

My wife read this and fell on the floor laughing so hard! lol

 

[TOK]

Everyone else already nailed it, but things will return to normal. I actually got into the hobby when my wife was pregnant. My main hobby was riding dirt bikes and I was gone a lot of weekends. The games allowed me to be around the house and still do something I enjoyed.

That aspect of the hobby is definitely a positive. Perhaps you could emphasize that!

 

[chris25810]

Actually Mike it was over for you when these words were spoken. "Hi my name is Mike, would you like to get together for dinner or a drink sometime?"

 

[jeffsgames]

Yeah Mike, Brent is right about having a gameday at your place. I think you need to have a "sending off the fleet" themed gameday! We can all come over for one last big event before the gameroom gets shut down!

Pretty soon you'll go to the gameroom, turn it off for the last time and put plastic over the machines! Then years into the future your son will get a page from your old gameroom and fire it back up!

 

[RedWolfJC]

 

[hasenfang]

Actually Mike it was over for you when these words were spoken. "Hi my name is Mike, would you like to get together for dinner or a drink sometime?"

That is so true!

 

[hasenfang]

Yeah Mike, Brent is right about having a gameday at your place. I think you need to have a "sending off the fleet" themed gameday! We can all come over for one last big event before the gameroom gets shut down!

Pretty soon you'll go to the gameroom, turn it off for the last time and put plastic over the machines! Then years into the future your son will get a page from your old gameroom and fire it back up!

I think that is how Tron Legacy started... I'm up for a game day at the house, I will have to clear it with the boss, she has had the morning/all day and night sickness. But, I'm all for it!

 

[jawhn]

Well if it was me, id get a Uhaul and get the hell outta there. But thats just me.

Gonna have to +1 this.

Congrats, nonetheless. I'm sure your balls will look very nice, and very safe, in her purse.

 

[MKplayer1start]

I have 2 kids. Before the kids I used to buy whatever I wanted (maybe more then I should of) now, I can't really buy anything. I'm lucky if I get an arcade related purchase in without her acting like a bitch and ruining for me to the point where I don't even want it anymore LOL and that's how it really is.

 

[OTTOgd]

I have two kids (3 and 6) and they do take up more of your time but parenthood is a wild experience. I didn't have a collection when the second kid popped out but I do know that the first few months are very busy. Personal compromises will (should) be made. My 3-year boy loves the games. He keeps me company when I'm working on a project.

This brief visual guide might be helpful:

 

[scaboo4u]

Here is my .02 worth.
I have 2 boys 5 and 10. I got my first game a year ago and I am in no way a rich man (with money that is)
I have built up a decent collection for the family and still looking or more. If you have your head and heart in the right place you can't screw up. You will have enough cash to go around ie hobby,kids,wife.
We are getting to the point now that sometimes I think the boys are gonna eat us out of house and home
So enjoy it you will learn as you go
Things always seem to work out you will see.

Allen

 

[LyonsArcade]

I'm not married, but this is a simple problem to solve.


First, give your new son or daughter all your games.

Second, make sure you keep them all functioning perfectly and keep a nice selection of games for them. After all they can't work on that stuff, they're just a BABY, DUH!!!!???!!!!!

 

[doon]

I don't know if you are done with. My wife (who is pregnant with our second, and is the reason we actually started collecting games), just called me up at work to tell me that she and my 3 year old daughter where playing pinball. Hearing my daughter squealing in the background as she was playing DM is worth the slight dip you will get in collecting. My wife too has the morning/evening/all day sickness. Just remember to be supportive, since if men where the ones that got pregnant, I pretty sure we as race would have died out long ago. Also there is a crazy amount of hormones /changes going on that you want to be on her good side

But remember kids are great, that got little hands to get into those places inside the machine you can't reach That and nothing better than the phone calls I get like today, going Daddy, I'm playing arkanoid, and I'm beating mommy...

I know I Am lucky in that my wife even with #2 on the way was, trying to figure out how to get more games in our gameroom, and was commenting the she liked having the cocktail table against the wall. Congrats and Build up on your sleeping now

 

[vintagegamer]

I have 2 kids and although it's technically not 'over', I can assure you that you'll be needing to wait until they go to bed to get out and work on anything.

You may have a little longer since this will be your first kid. I still had 'some' freedom with just one kid. By the 2nd, you're tied to a boat anchor.