Taking Care of an Infant: The Perfect Time to Tackle Your Backlog

A Love Letter to Responsible Gaming Parents

A nudge… A shake…

“What… what?”

“It’s your turn,” they mumble.

Cries echo from the monitor and down the hall—a desperate plea that makes you question why you even need the monitor in the first place. You shuffle down the hallway like an overmedicated psychiatric patient, open the door, and face the siren that is your child. You love this kid unconditionally—even when they’re wailing—but that doesn’t stop you from occasionally muttering, “stfu” under your breath. Hey, they can’t understand you yet, right?

Side Note: Normalize parenting frustrations. Don’t shame people for absolutely normal reactions to a very difficult job.

The routine begins: the diaper change, the bottle or breast, the shushing, the rocking. Forty-five minutes later, you’re golden… sometimes. Depending on your baby, there might be a few late-night speed bumps. Maybe they’ll only sleep in that one specific position. Maybe they need to be held, rocked, and sung to like you’re auditioning for The Voice. Or maybe they’re working on pushing out a poop so large you question the laws of physics. (Seriously, how did they even make that?)

Side Note: Every baby is different—some need constant attention, some are colicky, and some refuse to breastfeed. You’re going to experience or have experienced various levels of frustration.

If both partners are lucky enough to be off work at the same time, your days become a whirlwind of love, sleep deprivation, frustration, boredom, and joy. Your baby needs you constantly, but let’s be real—they’re also fairly immobile at this stage. Yes, you’re showering them with love, playing with them often, and maybe even playing Mozart to give them that IQ boost. But remember: your baby can’t see more than 12 inches past their face, most of their movements are uncoordinated flails, and you’re not having full-on conversations with them just yet.

Give Yourself Grace… and Games

You’re doing everything you need to as a good parent, so don’t feel guilty. Infants often sleep up to 16 hours a day in the beginning—it’s backlog time, baby! You’ve got a golden opportunity to knock at least one game off that ever-growing list of titles you swore you’d finish.

Choose wisely, though. You’ll want something easy to pause, something that doesn’t require peak mental faculties. This is not the time for MMOs or competitive multiplayer. At any moment, you can be thrown back into the chaotic whirlwind of “babyverse.” (Seriously, no one wants to hear a crying baby in the background of a COD lobby. Take care of your kid, bro!)

As you slowly lose your sanity over the coming weeks, dust off the Nintendo Switch, grab the Steam Deck you’ve been neglecting, and dive in. The backlog awaits.

An Introduction to My New Series

This article is the start of my newest series about being a gaming parent—and a parent of a gamer.

I was lucky enough to become a father this month, and it’s got me thinking about what kind of dad I want to be. What does screen time look like? When will I allow video games? How do I balance my hobbies with parenting? As a mental health professional, I often interpret research on these topics, and I’m excited to share what I learn with you.

Look forward to more articles on how to be a responsible parent and gamer, with tips and insights for balancing the two worlds. I hope you’ll subscribe and join me on this journey.

Till next time!