Is This The New After-school Hang out? Why Parents Should Support The LGS!

It’s about mid-week, and your child has disappeared into some dark cave full of games located on the corner on Flamingo Rd and Durango Dr. Usually, the occasional game night on the weekend was ok; but now, it has turned into a weekly obsession. You’ve met the store owner, and a few of the employees, and they seem like good, hard working people. As a parent, it’s understandable why you might be a little disconcerted. I am here to assure you, that your LGS (Local Game Shop) is probably one of the best places your kid could be at on a Wednesday night; and these are my top 3 reasons why:

#1  IT’S  A  SAFE  PLACE

Any time your kid is spending time in a public place, you want to know it is safe for them; as a father of two boys, I always have my head on a swivel – parents, I’m with you on this one. But the fact of the matter is, your LGS takes safety and security very seriously. There are even some shops that have private security guards to add a little extra peace of mind. Still, there is a stigma out there that adults who spend their afternoons at game shops somehow never grew up and are probably still living in their parent’s basements; in reality, most have full time jobs and are very responsible and active members of the community – it is important for us adults to let out our inner child sometimes. In this environment, you will find that the adult staff, and gamers, are very protective of the kids in the shop; I have even known some parents to hire gamers at a shop to babysit the kids – and you know what, they have a blast playing board games and card games together. Speak with your LGS owner and ask them about recent security risks in the area – I guarantee you, they take the safety of the local kids just as seriously as you do.

#2   SOCIAL  SKILLS

As a kid, it was a little difficult for me to talk with people, or obtain new friends for that matter. My LGS helped me overcome my social awkwardness (some of my friends may argue this point). Local Game Shops are places where kids can meet new people/kids of all backgrounds, and learn that there are others out there just like them, and a few who aren’t. I can tell you that some of my longest and most beloved friendships stemmed from my experience at game shops. Games offer opportunities to communicate and cooperate with others that one simply wont have elsewhere. In some games you need to negotiate your way into resources you need, or even hurl a few intimidating words at your opponent to throw them off their game; in turn, giving them a bit of a self confidence boost. The fact of the matter is, games equal social interaction, and social interaction equals a boost in self-confidence regarding social interaction outside of the game shop.

#3  CRITICAL THINKING

Your Cleric (responsible for healing) is down for the count, your Wizard has just used up his last spell slot with Magic Missile, and as the rouge in the group, you are now the party’s last hope to defeat the giant Dragon that stands before you – What do you do next?! This is one of the many situations a gamer will find themselves in on a Wednesday night session of a role playing game (one of many type of games at an LGS). Sure your kids learn critical thinking skills at school…just not like this. And the fact of the matter is, they will be much more interested in putting their brain to work on a problem like the one listed above, than the very boring and menial problems presented to them at school. This allows them to use their critical thinking skills to solve a problem that is important TO THEM – not to mention any mathematical or Teamwork skills also learned in the process (I could have very easily written an article on the top 10 reasons to support your LGS – I thought 3 would do for now). Games such as Magic the Gathering (MTG), Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), and many other popular board games, require strategy, teamwork, and even sharp math skills in order to be victorious.

CONCLUSION

Whether its board game night, Friday Night MTG, or Adventures League for D&D – there is always fun to be had. Every once in a while I will see a parent sitting off to the side reviewing some MTG cards or reading the D&D Players Manual, while their kid is sitting at the table actually playing; I always make it a point to let the parent know that I deeply appreciate how involved they are with the material that has grabbed their child’s attention. I always get the same response, “I didn’t realize how complex and imaginative this material was!” There will always be those parents who don’t truly understand the gaming world, but those who take the time to see what their child is up to will find that their kid spending a night a week at the LGS might actually be worth it in the long run; after all, many successful people had their beginnings at a D&D table (Vin Diesel, Stephen King, Jon Favreau, Mike Myers, Tim Duncan, and Curt Schilling, to name a few). It is vital that local stores get the support of parents so that they can continue to offer a safe haven for children, and the often underappreciated service to the community.

There is one more reason to support your LGS that I forgot to mention … When it comes right down to it, IT’S JUST PAIN FUN!!!

Keep On Gaming,

Athanasios (Devin) Green