How Video Games Can Power Up Your Parenting | Hannah Boquet | TED

Overview

Hannah Boquet explores how video games, particularly esports, can serve as a powerful tool for fostering connection, communication, and essential life skills between parents and children. Through her personal journey of playing video games with her kids, she highlights the unexpected benefits of engaging in their digital world, from building stronger family bonds to teaching life skills like teamwork and strategy.

Notable Quotes

- Connection is always worth it, even if you don't know how to open the door. – Hannah Boquet, on the value of stepping into her children's world through video games.

- Work can wait. We're saving the world right now. – Hannah's father, showing the importance of prioritizing connection over obligations.

- My kids legitimately think I’m cool. – Hannah Boquet, on the unexpected reward of bonding with her children through gaming.

🎮 Connecting Through Video Games

- Hannah shares how playing Fortnite with her children allowed her to step into their world, fostering laughter, learning, and connection.

- Her initial struggles with gaming became a bonding experience, as her children taught her how to play, reversing traditional parent-child roles.

- Gaming provided a unique opportunity to observe her children’s communication styles and teamwork in action.

🌍 Esports as a Global Connector

- Hannah’s brother, Amos, used video games to build relationships with his nieces and nephews despite living in different countries.

- Esports offered a way to create shared memories and bridge geographical distances, highlighting its potential for global connection.

🏫 Esports in Education and Skill Development

- South Dakota recently sanctioned esports as a high school activity, recognizing its value in teaching skills like leadership, teamwork, communication, and emotional resilience.

- Esports provides an inclusive platform where individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities can compete and grow.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Parenting and Life Lessons Through Gaming

- Hannah reflects on how her father used video games to connect with his children, despite not being a gamer himself.

- She emphasizes the importance of saying yes to opportunities to connect with her kids, even when it involves stepping out of her comfort zone.

- Video games also served as a tool for introducing her children to her significant other, creating a low-pressure environment for bonding.

💡 The Broader Impact of Esports

- Hannah’s journey led her to co-lead South Dakota’s first all-ages esports competition, showcasing how gaming can foster community and belonging.

- Esports is reframed not as a solitary activity but as a medium for connection, skill-building, and shared experiences.