Minecraft Mama vs. Hostile Mobs: When Your Kid Invites You Into Their World, Accept the Invitation

I never pictured I'd be spending my maternity leave playing my son's favourite video game, but here we are. My 6-year-old eats, sleeps, and breathes all things Minecraft. It's quite literally the first thing he talks about when he wakes up in the morning, and the convenient topic of interruption during every mundane task.

"What's your favourite creature in the Nether, mom?"

"Let me tell you all the facts about ____.” (insert here one of the following: phantoms, wither skeletons, ghasts, evokers, creepers, iron golem etc...).

Last year we even threw him a Minecraft-themed pool party for his birthday. Suffice it to say, he's well-versed in the Minecraft universe, and I've been quizzed enough about it over the past year and a half to know how important it is to him. So it's important to me too. When I ask him what he wants to do together while the baby is sleeping, teaching me Minecraft comes up as the most desired activity. We don't get to play for too long, but he is so thrilled for the time that we do get to spend, and I can tell that he's proud he's the one teaching me something. The fact that he says the highlight of his day is "giving mommy a Minecraft lesson", is pretty darn special.

I'll probably never defeat an Ender Dragon, but I can earn some brownie points with my little dude for trying. If anything, it bridges the gap between the things we feel duty towards doing as parents (e.g. housework) and the things we think they want (often a toy, or time in some expensive activity). Often, it's our time they want the most. Until one day they don't. So as much as I might have a million other little tasks to do, the least I can do is set aside some time for us to connect in this way.

The whole point of this post is just to say: when kids invite you into their world, accept the invitation.