Roblox: Exploring the Void and Family Bonding

Roblox has been a consistent source of entertainment in our household late and our recent adventure into a game inspired by "The Void" from Deadpool and Wolverine was a heap of fun. My son had been raving about this game for days, telling me all about how it was based on the movie. Little did I know, I’d soon be thrown into the mix and for a very relatable reason.

It all began with a call. I was calling out to my daughter, who had been immersed in Roblox for what felt like hours, trying to get her attention for a break. “Come on, sweetie, it’s time to step away!” I called out from the other room. But my words seemed to dissolve into thin air. After repeated attempts, I did what any tech savvy parent would do I jumped into Roblox myself to check on her.

Checking on the kids

Online games can be a heap of trouble when it comes to many unknown factors and unlike when we were kids where we used microphones and parents could hear us and often other players, these days parents can't as there are a lot of chat functions. So I do often drop into the servers my kids are on for two reasons.

One being, my kids will always have in their mind that dad might be in here so I better behave and not be naughty and I can also look around and see what it is they're doing. Beyond the safety issues it is also something currently my kids enjoy me doing as they get excited when dad joins in on things they like to do also instead of me making them do things I get to do things they like.

One thing that always gets my kids laughing is dressing up my Roblox avatar. This time was no different. my daughter and son found it funny that my oldest changed my characters avatar to look like a girl and my youngest said I need to rename my character to "mum". Cheeky bugger.

Sometimes I don't always tell them I am there

What makes this style of parenting funny is that I don't always tell them that I am in the game with them and I will go find them, while my daughter often plays games that are like tiggy or dress ups. My son goes for the Marvel and DV PvP games. I will at times jump in and find him then go around killing him. He gets frustrated as he keeps dying, although he is getting good at gaming and often one ups me, I used to let him win at times so he wouldn't get upset but, he is often winning on his own right.

It's always a mix of amusement and determination when I join my kids. I don't want to interrupt their fun, but I also want to be sure they are okay. But I always end up joining in the adventure. The we often end up teaming up and my wife often reminds me that I am probably playing with other kids so go easy. My kids love seeing me step into their world of gaming it’s like seeing their teacher attempt cartwheels during recess.

Observing from afar

But I don't always annoy them and quite often I will just jump in remotely from my P.C or phone just to check on them, make sure everything is ok and nothing sinister is happening. It's quite a surreal feeling and I can't really explain it but joining the e-universe and watching your kids do their thing is just an entirely different experience, one we never had as kids. I am often quite amazed at what the gaming sector has become. I mean it is no COD but it is still pretty awesome.

Fun and Games

What strikes me most is how much joy my kids get from watching me engage with their world. Gaming, especially on platforms like Roblox is often viewed as a negative activity by parents I know my mum in law always complains about the kids on games. But for my kids, it’s an invitation to share their passions. They love teaching me how to play, watching me fail and celebrating when I succeed.

In “The Void,” my inexperience led to plenty of laughs. “Dad, you’re supposed to jump there not fall!” or "come look at this Dad". It didn’t matter that I wasn’t perfect it mattered that I was present. For them, having me in the game made it more exciting. For me, it was a window into their imaginations and a reminder that bonding can happen all the time and anywhere.

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