I love being a geeky mommy and figuring out what that means for me with Harley. It’s a daily journey as I try to learn how to be a mommy, and a geeky mommy at that. However, there are some awesome ladies who are further along on the path and have some really cool ideas that I’m totally going to steal. Welcome to the Geeky Mommy Files, where every Friday, I will be introducing you to one.
Cassey was one of the first women to reach out to me when I joined the mommy blogging scene, and I am so grateful that she found me. She never fails to offer me encouragement and advice – she’s quite possibly the most contagiously positive people I’ve ever met. Of course she’s an awesome mommy to her little boy, and a cool geek as well.
What makes you geeky?
Hmm well, I think a lot makes me geeky, but anyone can be a geek about something. I’m most definitely a book geek, a smidge of a musical one, and then I also do the things most associated with geek culture. I game(PC, console, mobile device and tabletop), read comics(mostly the X-Men lines, but I jump into whatever grabs me) and graphic novels – yes, there is a difference, and I’ll happily chat to those who don’t know what it is; watch superhero things, anime and read fantasy. Oh, I also get the binary – and the like jokes.
Is your partner also into geek culture?
Jerall took my latent geek-ability and turned me into a fully fledged one. I started playing MtG, console games that weren’t sports games, boardgames and tabletop RPGs because of him. Pre him, my gaming was pc; mostly The Sims and Worms, with the occasional console game of sports titles and Crash.
How have you shared geek life with your spawnling so far?
Since Keiden was 8 days old, he has always been around us gaming – friends had a housewarming with boardgames his first Friday home. We are playing a Pathfinder AP most Sunday afternoons, so he is around. Often sitting on his daddy’s lap rolling for him, and shouting out “Yay!” at the funniest moments. Besides that, when he was littler he would sit with his daddy and “play” games on our Xbox360. Besides the gaming, K is well on his way to becoming a fully fledged book geek. Books are a big deal in our house, library trips are made regularly…and he has many, many books (although it doesn’t stop him trying to get to my Brandon Sanderson books). He seems to enjoy musicals with me, and happily watches the more kid friendly superhero shows, anime and the like with us.
What are your plans for future geekery with him? (if any)
Well, we’re looking at getting Carcasone Junior for the family in winter, and for his birthday he got given a boardgame by friends. So he’s well on his way to enjoying the social geekry of boardgames. Other than that, we’ll expose him to more aspects of geek life, but also support anything that interests him. I think it’s our jobs as parents to expose our kids to as much as we can, and be as supportive of their interests as we can.
How does being a geek change your parenting style? (if at all)
I don’t think that being a geek changes my parenting style. Although it might have aided it gas we’re aware of different things being interesting to others. It may help us be more open to different ideas…check back with me on this question when Keiden is older. I think it’s a bit tricky to make a clear call on this with him being 2.
If you could give other moms one piece of advice, what would it be?
Hmmm one piece of advice. Teach your kid the importance of acknowledging that everyone is a person – so at this age for Keiden it means we stress returning a greeting, looking at people who say hi to him, and of course using please and thank you. I believe that an awareness of dealing with another person can temper us in our moments of wanting to just be rude. Treat people with the kindness and respect that you would expect when they talk to you. Or in the words of Wil Wheaton, “Don’t be a dick.”
You can find Cassey on her blog, or follow her on twitter.
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