Avoiding the Cat's Craddle - Parenting and Warhammer

Fair warning, this post is less about Warhammer and more about "real" life.  Though there is a fair about of Warhammer in it.  Of all of the things I've done in my life the thing I am most proud of is my eleven year old step son.  He is growing up to be someone I am very proud of, and so far, avoiding the mistakes I made in my youth. 

I know most of the Warhammer players out there are not parents, so this post is likely to be at the minimum not applicable and most likely dreary at best.  I had signed up for an 1850 tournament yesterday at the Games Workshop store in Alamo, California.  I was looking forward with getting some games in with my new nurgle models, that I've mostly finished up.  On my way to the tournament yesterday my Wife called me, asking where the primer was to prime models.  My son had decided he wanted to paint up some Skaven that day. 

Earlier in the morning my Wife and I had sat my son down and told him he wasn't going spend all of his vacation playing video games, and that he needed to find other things to do.  My son has painted a few models in the past, but the hobby hasn't ever really stuck with him.  I've been trying fantasy as an alternative, and so far it is appealing to him much more then the round base variety of the hobby.  After hanging up the phone and driving a few miles down the road I called my Wife back and told her I was coming home. 

It didn't take me five minutes to decide that playing a tournament (even one that I had been looking forward to for a few weeks) wasn't worth missing some time hanging out with my Son, sharing a hobby that I love.  We spent most of the afternoon at our Kitchen table watching James Bond movies and painting models.  I didn't learn a damn thing about how my Nurgle list does in a tournament, but I did make my kid really happy.

Best sunday I've had in a while.  When you get the chance in life, make sure that you turn the car around. 




He painted up ten skaven clan rats from the island of blood.  When they are done I will post a few pics.  He is doing much better at eleven then I did at fifteen when I started.

 My Chaos Warriors.