WHY ONE OR THE OTHER

What we do when only one of us wants to play a game

APRIL 8, 2023

If you haven’t already gathered from our website, we are big proponents of finding ways to spend quality time together, with games being one source of that quality time. So, what do we do when only one of us wants to play a game, but we are both wanting quality time together?

Podcasts! Yep, that’s right. Podcasts are our answer. You see, we both love podcasts, and the beauty of them is that you can be listening to one while doing other things. We can both be doing our own thing, but still be actively listening to the same podcast episode. There are funny moments to share a laugh together and also more interesting topics to spark discussions.

Our cups get filled by:

1.) doing the thing that interests us at the moment

2.) having quality connection with each other by being able to discuss different points from the podcast

Life can be hectic. We each have our own versions of busy schedules. From going to work, to spending time with family, to the work that needs to be done around the house or the meals that need to be prepped. It is easy for personal interests and hobbies to be pushed to the wayside. One way that we have fought against this is by having set days to focus on the things we would like to do. At first glance, this may seem highly restrictive and boring, but this enables us to still have time for our hobbies and personal interests. We usually try to have one day during the week that is “hobby” day. Hobby day means that we each get to focus our intentions on the things we want to do for the day without any guilt of not doing something together. But, that doesn’t mean that we have to sacrifice having a “quality connection” with each other while we do our own hobby.

THE SETUP:

Zach works in the afternoon/evening time. Since Victoria works from home, she has been able to adjust her schedule to better line up with Zach’s. This means that we have the mornings and early afternoons together on workdays. One of Victoria’s businesses involves creating art and working on art commissions for clients. There are times where she feels more creative during the morning and afternoon though, and likes to utilize that time to focus on art for a client. One way that we balance this minor dilemma of Victoria feeling inspired to work on art and Zach feeling pulled to play a game is by listening to a podcast together. Everyone has their own hobbies, this is our way of incorporating some time together despite not doing the same thing.

We have a bluetooth speaker that can separate into two speakers. Victoria takes one with her into her office/studio and Zach takes the other into his office to play some PC Games. At other times, we can also play a podcast from one speaker and also share the room - making communication a bit easier than separate speakers.

This has been a great way for us to focus our attention on the thing we each want to do. Neither one of us has to compromise - Victoria doesn’t have to feel forced to play a game when she would rather fulfill her need to create, and Zach doesn’t have to feel like he has to be “productive” when he really just wants to relax before heading to work.

Now, there are times where this solution may not work out, and it may not be for everyone. This is what we have found that works for us. We do our best to communicate with each other on what we are wanting to do. We think communication is a big key factor in all parts of life, and it is no different when it comes to how we choose to utilize the time we have together.

Playing video games or board games together is always nice, but there will always be times when this doesn’t quite fit the mood we are in for the day. This hybrid model helps us accomplish what each of us is in the mood for, without forcing us to chose one or the other.

Gaming doesn't have to be divisive. There are ways to incorporate quality time and connection, even when only one of you is playing.

Thank you for your time in reading our post! And as always, happy gaming!