As some of you know, my wife and I recently welcomed a new baby girl into our family. As a wargaming addict, I have naturally started thinking about how I want to introduce her to the hobby and in what order to do so. She is not even five months old, so we are a few years off from the initial intro games. Beyond the incredible consternation this would cause in my wife (having one wargamer in the house is as much as she can bear to say nothing of being outnumbered) I have been considering what other ramifications might arise if my daughter does enjoy playing these games.
Now, there has been much digital ink spilled on the matter of the experience of women in wargaming circles, most of it negative. I genuinely believe that these experiences are becoming less frequent as the reach of Games Workshop and other companies widens. However, as a dad, it is my primary concern but not one I feel I need to spend a lot of time on. The internal policing by the community and the enforcement of codes of conduct by event judges are proving to have an impact, and my local store is very safe and well-policed (literally, it’s in an old police station complete with jail cells). Other writers have covered this topic better than I can and sufficed to say I want her to be able to have access to a (literal) safe space where she is respected as a person and free from harassment.
Another way this discussion usually goes is in the direction of faction choice, Again, this isn’t something I am particularly worried about. I am not overly concerned about my daughter struggling to find which genocidal, depraved faction she identifies with (though this is a trite mischaracterization and I understand this is a bigger concern for others). My biggest desire is that if she does play, she finds a faction she enjoys using and doesn’t feel railroaded into a certain set due to societal expectations. And, while I may make some jokes about the community’s arguments revolving around which factions should have female models, I do have to compliment GW on increasing the representation in factions that make sense (guard, Eldar, etc.)
I guess that covers most of my rambling thoughts. I think if you boil it down, what I want for my daughter is the same thing I got. I love these communities as the escapism and stories you can tell are invigorating. The ability to develop skills you can actively improve in, painting, assembly, and gameplay is a little rare in today’s virtual world. These hobbies can get you out in the real world socializing and forming irl communities. There are so many positive things about this hobby that I might take it a little hard if she doesn’t show any interest ha-ha.
The nature of many wargaming communities has become far more welcoming over the 17 years I have been playing. And I expect that to continue in the intervening years until my daughter is old enough to start learning. If she does decide to join me in these hobbies, I hope the community will be one of the biggest reasons to join in, rather than a reason to stay away.
And remember, Frontline Gaming sells gaming products at a discount, every day in their webcart!
