5 Things About Becoming A Gamer Mom No One Tells You About

Becoming a mom for the first time is both a magical and terrifying experience. When I was pregnant (2021-2022), I passed the time by playing video games, like Animal Crossing and Gears 5. It was great to connect with friends and at times to disconnect and forget about how scary pregnancy is. I was ill prepared for the reality of becoming a mom and being that I had a high risk pregnancy it only made me more anxious as the days went by. Gaming was a welcome distraction.

Below are 5 things that changed for me after I became a mom and powered on my Xbox.

1. Time? What Time?

   Having a newborn means you will not sleep and you also will not have any breaks. Even now as my daughter turns 11 months old, I struggle to find a good time to turn on my Xbox.

2. Loss of Interest

   Although there were moments where I wanted to take a break from mom duty, whenever I did have time all I could think about was napping. I had little to no desire to play a game, unless that game involved sleep.

3. Goodbye E-Friends

   My gaming friends moved on without me. I can’t blame them since I essentially stopped gaming for close to a year. However, when I did get on, I struggled to connect since I was the only mom in the group. Luckily, I still had one close friend who didn’t erase me, but I still wasn’t prepared to be left out of the crew.

4. Can't Pause A Crying Baby

   Ever felt that adrenaline rush when you are completely immersed in the game? That moment when the entire hope of the team is left on your shoulders (AKA everyone is dead but you)? It feels amazing except your baby is crying in the background and you need to walk away because baby comes first. I would love to say this only happened once or twice but for me it happened often. Hearing my baby cry while I’m gaming means that my focus is 100% gone from the game and, when you can’t pause the game, it means you have to accept the fact that you'll be AFK during pivotal moments. Did I mention you might lose friends when this becomes a trend?

5. No More Breaking Night

   It wasn’t too long ago when I could hang with the crew until 5 or 6am. Now I can’t keep my eyes open past 9PM. It also doesn’t help that my daughter wakes up everyday, like clockwork, at 6AM. It means that staying up late isn’t practical anymore.

Babies are a blessing and nothing brings me more joy than having my daughter. As a matter of fact, I look forward to the day where we can play together (Xbox 4 anyone?). Until then, I’ll accept the fact the gaming looks different after having my first child. And that's okay.