Kids are going to make mistakes. How you respond teaches more than the mistake itself. Evan forgot to start his recording and did not realize it until most of the game day was gone. He finally confessed, hoped I had been recording, and lucky for us I was. My joke to him was, well, let's hope I was witty, since my footage was all we had. This is actually why we restarted the Dinkum series in the first place, so this time we made sure our settings were right. I reminded him once about what to check next time and then let it go. Harping on it would only make him feel bad, and he already knew. He was embarrassed and apologetic after, and that is what matters. When your kid messes up, how do you point it out without piling on?

There's a moment in every gaming session where Evan says something I have to just roll with. This time it was 'Gangsta Footera.' I actually recognized the name. I've heard it a few times from Roblox or Fortnite. I figured that had to count for something. He told me I wasn't hip. I think the right move is to accept that your kid has a whole interior language you're not fully part of, and that even catching one doesn't mean you're in. The gap doesn't close just because you learned one word. What's something your kid says that you actually recognized but still got told you're not cool for knowing?

There's a shift that happens when you game with your kid long enough, and this episode caught it on camera. The museum's still being built, so we logged in to knock out daily quests and get ready for it. Evan grabbed the quest book immediately and started handing out assignments. He sent us on a corn dog run, and when we came back with a full speech about how hard we worked for those corn dogs, his response was 'Sure, I guess.' Then he said 'Good boy.' That's the episode in one exchange. The thing that caught us off guard was how fast the power balance shifted. One session he's following along, asking what to do next. This session he's running the quest log and handing out ratings. It sneaks up on you. We got the town debt-free again and stocked up on shells, fish, and bugs so we can fill the museum the day it opens. Worth every corn dog. If your kid has flipped the script on you in a co-op game, when did you first notice them taking the lead?

I genuinely held off flying around on a broom until Evan had one too. It felt like the right call. We do this stuff together. Evan did not acknowledge this. So I said it out loud. On camera. And then I narrated what I assumed Evan was thinking but couldn't bring himself to say. He let me finish. Didn't confirm, didn't deny. Just kept playing. There's a specific age where kids stop giving you verbal credit for things. They still notice. They just decide you don't need to hear about it. Do your kids acknowledge the small things you do for them during a session, or do you have to narrate your own appreciation?

To all the Dad's out there, we see you! Happy Father's Day!!