When you have a new baby, everything changes. You have to switch the focus of almost every aspect of your life to be geared towards your baby. It’s not a bad thing as it is a necessity, but there will come the point where you’ll need to start catering for your own needs too.
As explained in The Guardian article about motherhood and gaming, you do not need to feel guilty about taking time for yourself, but you do need to an option available to fill your time inrelatively short spurts. Not only is gaming a great option, it’s something that is becoming more popular.
Gaming has gone mainstream, with men women, old and young playing a variety of games across computers, mobiles, tablets, and consoles. As such, it’s easier than ever to get into gaming and find games that suit your preferences.
Benefits of Gaming to New Mothers
Early on, mothers tend to find that free time comes in short bursts of up to an hour or so. However, this is the precious little free time that you get, and it’s certainly not enough time to get any amount of sleep. As such, you need something that fills the time, brings enjoyment, and is very engaging. For these reasons alone, gaming becomes one of the easiest hobbies to take up.
As well as the practical benefit of getting immersive enjoyment from gaming to make the most of your spare time, Psychology Today cites Green & Bavelier (2012) to show that playing games improves your spatial attention as well as your vigilance. As a mother, these two skills become integral to your day-to-day life.
What Games Should I Play?
The glory of the modern gaming scene is that there are hundreds of games that suit just about any interest. Games come with easy ways to quickly save your progress so that you can put the controller down whenever you need, with consoles coming with sleep modes to make it even easier. If you want to go all-in with a console, the Nintendo Switch is your best option. Not only does it feature a huge library of indie and big-name games, but it can also be used as a handheld device, so you can play in any room that you need to.
If you’re not one for console gaming, there are plenty of games set-up at online platforms. The online casino scene has become incredibly player-friendly of late. Not only are the games available in short doses, with you able to dip out after any spin, hand, or roll when needed, but platforms also offer extras to allow for more gaming for free. For example, the Betway casino bonus is a whopping $1,000 CAD to give you even more playing money across the platform’s hundreds of titles available on PCs, mobiles, and tablets.
Future Benefits of Playing as a New Mother
For the time being, gaming can bring you the entertainment that you need enjoy your moments of free time, allowing you to relax and do something for yourself. However, your time in various games won’t just be beneficial to you now; the hours spent progressing in stories and beating bosses will also put you in a good place for the years to come.
Gaming is mainstream now and is continuing to grow, so there’s little doubt that your kids will be exploring the immense entertainment medium in the years to come. As relayed by the BBC, Internet Matters’ Carolyn Bunting says that parents who regularly get involved with their children’s activities are better placed to lead them through potential future issues. So, by indulging in gaming now, you’re setting yourself up to be knowledgeable and helpful in the future.
From treating yourself now to preparing yourself for the future challenges of motherhood, using some of your precious free time to play some games is proven to be beneficial to you.
