I learned what it's like to not want to quit

I was playing Minecraft a couple weeks ago and I was in the groove. I heard the call, "Dinner's ready in five minutes."

My response?

"I suppose I should do that thing where I plan to get off the screen."

A minute later, I actually started to. BUT I DIDN'T WANT TO! I wanted to keep playing. I wasn't *ready* to stop.

Here's my *LIGHTBULB* moment.

This is what it's like for my kid.

It's hard to stop sometimes. I really wasn't hungry. Going to dinner didn't seem nearly as much fun as mining more gravel and making arrows.

I wanted to share this moment because it ups my empathy when telling my own kid to come to dinner.  It reinforces the importance of allowing time for transition. If I'd been forced to stop right away, I would have been pissed.

Stopping game play is a skill that has to be learned.

And it can be. Thankfully.