Topic: When do you find time to play games?

[Perspective]

So now that I'm not a grad student anymore I like to pretend that I have the evenings and weekends free. In reality, from the moment I get home from work I'm taking care of my daughter and/or cooking and/or cleaning. This goes until 9 or 10 when my daughter falls asleep which usually leaves about 30 minutes or so to watch a TV show with my wife before we go to sleep to start the whole routine over again the next day.

I've been thinking of picking up an Xbox 360 since they're pretty cheap (used) now that the new systems are out. I used to love gaming but haven't been a regular player for many years. But every time I think of buying a system I can't help but think it will just sit on the shelf because I'll never have time to play. When do you guys (with kids) find time to play???

[ober]

Just my opinion, but keeping your kid up until 9/10 is a mistake.  Our kids are in bed by 7:30.  Not only do they need that much sleep but that is also your down time.  Again, my opinion.

My sleep schedule sounds a little different than yours, but a couple nights per week the kids go to bed and I work from 8ish to 10:30/11.  Then I usually get my gaming time between 10:30/11 and 12/12:30.  Every once in a while I will just game instead of working so I get a few solid hours in.  But the reality is that with kids, I only play probably 5 hours per week if that.  The nights that I don't work/play I spend with my wife and I try to make it so that the number of nights per week with her is greater than the number of nights I work.  Or sometimes I will work a few hours and then hang out with her until we go to bed.  It's a juggle sometimes.

[Perspective]

If she gets up at 7 she'll have three naps during the day and be down between 8 - 9. But lately she's been sleeping in and that has shifted up an hour or so.

I guess I could stay up a little later, I'm not much of a morning person though so I like to get my sleep in. Probably if I just bite the bullet and pick up a system I'd be more likely to make time. Not sure how my wife will feel about that though!

[micah]

Harper goes to bed between 7 and 8 every night unless we're out, then she falls alseep anyway.  Colbie will not go to sleep before 10. ever.  there is no "we put our kids to bed early" shit in our house. It just doesn't work.  I suppose we could lock her in her room at 6 but she would just scream and tantrum until she threw up and still be up until 10 or 11 or midnight.  So yeah, I spend my nights dealing with kids.  Or making dinner. Ok cleaning. or doing anything other playing video games.

I haven't played my xbox in months.  literately, I don't even know where the controllers went, probably under the couch.  My gold membership expired over the summer, luckily it didn't auto renew.

[charlie]

5-10 minutes here or there during the day when the kids and wife are busy. Otherwise I don't.

[Perspective]

5-10 minutes here or there during the day when the kids and wife are busy. Otherwise I don't.

Yeah, I could probably find 5 minutes here or there, but I feel like that wouldn't be enough time. I think I'd need at least 20 - 30 minutes of contiguous play to really get into "gaming" again.

[charlie]

Well, yeah. I don't game. I just play quick, dumb games.

[Betazep]

5-10 minutes here or there during the day when the kids and wife are busy. Otherwise I don't.

Yeah, I could probably find 5 minutes here or there, but I feel like that wouldn't be enough time. I think I'd need at least 20 - 30 minutes of contiguous play to really get into "gaming" again.

Let alone a nice 4 to 8 hour session of power gaming.  My family goes back to Finland for several weeks during the summer.  So I get to be alone for a bit.  I get some game time in then.  With the wife and 4 kids around... forget it.  Sometimes I get a little bit of game time on the iPad if the wife goes to bed early.  Usually if I am playing a game, it is costing me sleep.

[Mike]

Sometimes being a loner has its benefits...

[ober]

Usually if I am playing a game, it is costing me sleep.

+1

[micah]

I played that ARC Squadron game on my phone last night from like 3:30 to 4:30AM while hanging out in Harpers room while she refused to go back to sleep.

[kermi3]

I play a lot less for these last 2 years of grad school...if for no other reason, then I'm afraid of a game sucking me in and getting in the way of work....Working full time now, but I get an hour in 2-3 nights a week...maybe more on weekends if I'm procrastinating....it keeps away the sadness of being alone.

[Mike]

it keeps away the sadness of being alone.

only in the short term