Tenacious Gaming: Armoring the Guardians

By CB Elliott

Are you the guardian of a creative, passionate, curious, relentless, artistic gamer kid searching for a guide? Tenacious Gaming: Armoring the Guardians is an invaluable resource for parents and educators of the next generation of gamers who now face the challenge of making the vast and exciting universe of gaming safe and accessible for

• Language: English
• Publisher: Astral Aethos Publishing
• Release date: Nov 18, 2024
• ISBN: 9798992074314

Book preview

Tenacious Gaming

Armoring the Guardians

by,

C.B. Elliott

Copyright © 2024 by C.B.Elliott

All rights reserved.

No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the publisher, except as provided by United States of America copyright law and fair use. For permission requests, email the publisher at [e-mail]

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that neither the author nor the publisher is engaged in rendering legal, investment, accounting, mental health, physical health, or other professional services. While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional when appropriate. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, personal, or other damages.

Book Cover by, Astral Aethos Art& Design

First edition 2024

ISBN: 979-8-9920743-0-7 (Print)

ISBN: 979-8-9920743-1-4 (EPUB)

Astral Aethos Publishing, P.O. Box 951, Cottonwood, AZ 86326

Acknowledgments

Dedication

To the Lion of my heart,

May your light be limitless,

your thoughts be positive,

your claws be sharp, yet merciful.

Also

For Jonathon Payne,

the first truly epic gamer that I ever knew.

Your Kindred miss you.

Special Thanks

Gerard, Karolyn, Taylor, Christiaan, and Gwydion Elliott,

Per Jensen, Jordan Poole, Nicole Petersen, Mirina DeLeon,

Haloysious, Tristan, Violet, Cathy Criss Adams,

My Extended Families, My Plants and Animals,

All of the Amazing Educators who believed in Me.

Introduction

Iam the single parent of an 8-year-old force of nature who loves gaming. I studied game design for four years in graduate school. When my son was tiny, he started showing his first interest in gaming. I was afraid. I did not want his innocent self corrupted by an industry broadly promoting adult content and idolizing sensualized avatars that are often actuated through violence. I wrote a paper in graduate school about the power of image-making in impressing value systems upon the group soul of a nation. So why would I now be writing a book on the positive aspects of gaming? I was raised by a long line of educators who taught me that Attitude is Everything and Knowledge is Power. Where there is light, we can see the truth behind the shadow.

When my son was five, he asked me if he could get a toy gun. I responded too rashly, You will never have a toy gun in my house. It was a serious tactical error. From then on, all my son could talk about was toy guns. He was relentless. Toy guns became his obsession. Nothing I did could divert his attention to something new. While reading a book on creative thinking, I decided I needed to think out of the box to resolve this issue. What was I missing about this situation? As is often the case, I only needed to consider a different perspective.

I decided that the best way to soften the allure of toy guns was to demystify the subject. So we went out and bought several types of toy guns (water guns, pop guns, Nerf guns, etc). We spent days playing with them and practicing how to play with them safely with others. We spent time talking about the difference between toy guns and real guns. After that, my son lost interest. The months of toy gun arguments were finally over. My son knew how to handle himself safely with toy guns. He understood the difference between a toy gun and a real gun and the consequences of each. I had learned an important lesson in parenting. Most children are curious, especially about topics that make adults anxious or that they try to avoid or conceal. Children are interested in what society deems taboo and why. The best way to approach a potentially sensitive subject matter is to face it head-on and work through it proactively.

That experience taught me that whenever I felt friction with my child about a topic, I needed to embrace it. Today's parents cannot ignore gaming. I am writing this book to help parents and educators learn to integrate the benefits of gaming into worldly education. The best way to learn anything is to take an active role in it. Where we willingly engage with our children, their pathways are made safe, clear, less mysterious, and more fun.

Since our goal is a survey of