There are those of us who have just dreamed of the day when they could catch a Pokemon in the wild. Likely when we were children and the little creatures were all the rage, but nevertheless, it planted the seed. Well, friends, the time has come to put on our ball caps and backpacks, and answer the call to be a Pokemon Trainer with Pokemon GO!
One thing I bet we didn’t realize as we painted this mental fantasy back in the day is that we would possibly be parents by the time it came to fruition. So, here we are, not just your ordinary Pokemon Trainers but PokeMoms and PokeDads.
Pokemon is taking social media by storm lately and is loved by people of all ages. Personally, it takes me back to the days when my sister would collect all the cards she could get her hands on, and we would watch Ash and Pikachu cartoons in the afternoons every day after school. We each had our favorites and when Pokemon GO game came out I was finally able to have a little Charmander of my own! (She got Squirtle, naturally.)
I’m aware this sounds silly, possibly ridiculous to some, for an adult to go out and hunt fictional creatures on their cell phones, but do you know who else is entertained by these new adventures? My four-year-old daughter. My husband and I will show her the Pokemon as they pop up in the neighborhood and she will fling the red and white PokeBall at them and catch them for us. It is some type of magic in her eyes. And there really isn’t a whole lot I won’t do to see that look on her little face. She absolutely loves the little Pokemon!
There are several other parents I know who have also used this game to entertain and interact with their kids. My friend spent a week collecting Pokemon in secret to surprise his 14 year-old son. Another friend uses it as a reward incentive for her younger sons, and then uses it to bond with her older, preteen son by going out and having a friendly competition against each other. She told me he will use both their phones while she is driving and sometimes “forget” to grab PokeStops and will “accidentally” miss catching them on her phone. They will laugh about it afterwards. (I would like to point out that she is still a higher level, because we PokeMoms are awesome like that.)
There is also the fact that Pokemon GO is getting people out of their houses and walking around more. Hello, fitness! Nightly walks have been renewed and lengthened to increase the odds of catching a random, rare Pokemon hiding nearby. It’s giving a bit more variety to our kids’ routines, too, as I know people have been park hopping to places they otherwise might not have visited to catch some new creatures.
Need some tips, fellow PokeParents? My friend said Laurelhurst Park is a hot spot for Scyther, Normandale Park has plenty of Shellder, and in Woodstock Park you’re likely to find a Magmar roaming around. I’ve had great success down at the waterfront for all types of water Pokemon and even some bigger catches like Rhyhorns or Tauros.
Thank goodness for PokeMom playdates, otherwise I would never catch 150 Magicarp!
[…] if technology actually brought people together. The Pokemon Go phenomenon has already proven this is possible. Gamers actually will get up out of a chair, leave […]
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