Minecraft has Saved My Children

Boys playing Minecraft on Kindle

BR & SJ side by side on their Kindle playing Minecraft.

The Captain and Tenille sang, “Love will keep us Together.” Now, love may have kept the Captain and Tenille together (actually, they recently announced they are divorcing), but something else was needed in my household.

The answer here in the MMK household is Minecraft. Yep, Minecraft is what is keeping my boys together. No joke, snide remark, or clever retort. I am thankful to those Swedish invertors for their best invention ever. Yeah, they can keep the Saab.

This past weekend SJ was screaming at the top of his lungs, “I hate my brother.” BR was laughing at SJ’s outburst. He could not care less.

My wife and I cringed.

I wish I could say it was the first time this ugliness has sprouted. It’s not. And it never gets easier to hear.

My wife and I have talked to the boys many times about how they need to be there for each other. They should be happy to spend time other. They should have each other’s back. Yes, my wife and I are like every other set of parents – we want our children to be friends.

Yet when the boys act like this, my wife and I are happy to have them apart. We try to remember that sibling rivalry is not unique at this age. We hope that they will grow out of it.

By the next morning, détente had occurred. Life had returned to our village, and all was good. And the reason for this peace was Minecraft. Plain and simple. The boys were side by side playing Minecraft on their Kindles. And they were talking. Here are some samples of the conversation that passed between my boys.

The zombie is chasing you. I have to kill it.
I don’t want your gold. I gave it to you as a gift.
Thanks for the dirt.
Fine, you can take the raw chicken.
I’ll build us a house. I need more clay.

Now, that might sound weird to you (well, that is unless your child is one of the millions that is also addicted to Minecraft). However, to me these are words of love. In fact, I hear those words we love each other, we will always be friends, we will take care of our parents when they get old.

Whoops! How did that last line get in there?

I know, I know some might say that this is a false peace. It’s dependent on a video game being played on a Kindle. I beg to differ. Sure they are not talking about feelings and offering up support. They are not encouraging and dreaming together.

However, my boys are playing together. They are enjoying spending time together. They choose to play Minecraft Survival mode (I had to ask multiple times till I remembered that) which involves both of them.  They are happy in each other’s company.

For that, I am ecstatic.

Minecraft has brought my boys together.

Boys focused on kindle Minecraft

Boys focused on their Kindles and on Minecraft

22 thoughts on “Minecraft has Saved My Children

  1. Video games are here to stay, so we might as well quit demonizing them and instead focus on the ones that are appropriate for our kids to play and limit their time doing so. As you point out, the interactive games can be a great way for siblings to bond. I enjoy hearing my sons laugh and cooperate with each other while they’re battling Koopas in Mario World. They have even more fun when my husband and I join them. Together they mock and make fun of our horrible skills as if there were no more amusing activity in the universe. 🙂

    • Good point about video games. I also agree that there are lessons to learn there. I like when my boys work together even if it is to joke on me.

  2. My kids were recently screeching at each other like crazed cats. And by recently I mean 15 minutes ago. Then one went to take a shower and the other one fell asleep on the couch and now we’re all feeling much better about life.

    But Minecraft works pretty dang well, too.

  3. My kids love video games but they haven’t ever gotten into Minecraft. I have often wondered why,but I haven’t asked.

    The sibling rivalry really is normal. I remember it with my sisters and I certainly see quite a bit of it with my kids. It is a love/hate relationship, painful when not going well, but when it does simply beautiful.

    • Agreed – it’s natural. They seem excessive to me but I am sure many other parents would say the same about their kids.
      I want more of the beautiful.

  4. Video games were a big part of my youth, and my two sons already have an interest in them. Playing a co-operative game is a great way to get two boys on the same page (as I can attest from hours and hours of Contra, Double Dragon and Lethal Enforcers), and though my sons are too young for Minecraft, if it is still popular in a few years, I’m sure it will be quite popular in our house.

    • Yes, there are definitely positive beyond simply not fighting. If it is popular then, be prepared for some odd conversations.

  5. Ha, I’m sure they will love each other forever and take care of their parents when they get old regardless of minecraft. =) Okay, I’m a minecraft newbie. Would my 7 year old like this? He’s really into Skylanders (which he got for xmas) and he’s going to get Disney Infinity for his birthday. Is minecraft a video game, or an app? You mentioned it being on the kindle which made me think it’s an app…

    • My 7 year old likes it. However, I think his older brother got him into it. I don’t know much about the game itself except for what I overhear.
      The boys have got the game on their Kindle. My wife downloaded it. There are different versions – some free and some cost. My boys have a version that cost about $20.

  6. Jake plays that ALL THE TIME. Wait until your boys learn how to build roller coasters on the program. Jake spent days watching videos on Youtube about how different rollercoasters worked (people actually video tape themselves riding coasters, weird huh?) and now, he’s deep into develop mode creating a massive roller coaster in one of his worlds.

    So I get it … I totally love the moments of peace and quiet I get from Minecraft 🙂

    • My younger boy is very into the rollercoasters but they have yet to watch them on Youtube. They do watch some odd things on there. I just don’t get it.

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