Levels. When you think about life as a parent, there are so many different levels and challenges at each stage aren’t there? From tiny babies through to tweens, teens and beyond, it takes some serious thought and careful navigation. As I was lying in bed giving this whole process some thoughtful consideration, it suddenly came to me that the companies who make video games should produce one based on parenting, it would be challenging enough to keep any gamer on their toes.
Level one would, of course, be the newborn baby. This level could get messy as you try hard to deal with dirty nappies, projectile vomit and lack of sleep, whilst stopping the now crawling baby from electrocuting themselves in plug sockets, climbing on the furniture or pulling things onto their heads. Helping to teach them to talk and walk will be fun until you realise that they will never stop doing either and this leads you nicely into the next stage of the game.
If you can survive that, level two pushes your limits as you face the wrath of the tantrumming toddler from hell. No matter what you do, this child will not stop screaming and shouting and you have to tactically navigate this level to find a solution to a problem that has troubled tired parents for an eternity.
After that, you think level three will be easy as you pass into the early school years. Think again. This level will see you battling with homework, friendship problems and encounters with teachers but the big challenge in this level is surviving the unknown battleground that is the other parents in the school playground.
As you sigh with relief at the passing of level three, level four is the tween level. With this level, there comes the chance to relive some of the challenges of earlier levels such as the arguments about homework, tantrums, friendship issues with new exciting trials such as serious attitude, screen addiction and juggling extra-curricular clubs.
Moving to Level 5 and we hit the teen years with a vengeance. Now things will start to get really interesting. To pass this level, you need to be able to get the teen safely through some pretty serious stuff; hormones, going out, exams the list goes on and on. If you can pass level 5 and you are still standing, you will be doing very well.
As for Level 6, I’m still learning about this level, this one is all about what comes after school is finished, letting go and accepting that your ‘child’ is now an adult. University, college, worrying about the future, money, jobs, relationships.
Just to be really mean, I would also add in a bonus level; managing the paperwork. In this level, the unsuspecting ‘parent’ has to deal with a constant barrage of forms to fill in, letters to read and respond to, more forms, text messages, managing the so called easy online payment system and a calendar that never stops changing. I defy anyone to get through that level alive.
I think this could be a great game, what do you think?
