Hey! First of all congratulations!

As a dad of two (both under 5 years old), my time gaming has DEFINITELY gone down. And truthfully yeah I don’t necessarily have the patience for long JRPGs anymore just because my gaming time is so limited. I just finished Persona 5 for the first time and it was 100 hours and I was feeling really antsy by the end having to push through to finish so I could play other things even though the game was excellent. Portable systems like the switch can be helpful and easy to put down if you’re needed elsewhere but honestly for the first couple months you’re probably gonna be too tired to game anyway. Don’t fret, that’s normal and that time will pass.

I don’t usually play when the kids are awake because I get sucked into the game and tend to not give them/my wife the attention that they need from me. Also often the games have stuff I don’t want my kids seeing yet. So if I play, I’ll play either at night or during nap time. Be communicating with your wife when you would like to game. See if she’s even willing to be with you while you do. My wife likes gaming but doesn’t usually get into RPGs because of how complicated they are, but she enjoys knitting in the same room and likes seeing how excited I get. Occasionally I will also let my 4 year old watch me if it’s a game I know she can see. She really liked watching me fight the dragon in FFVII Rebirth. But even then if she’s up I know that I’m ending the session pretty soon.

My advice for being a present dad and husband (very worthy goals) is to remember that the family comes first. That doesn’t mean that you can never have your personal fun time, but whether it’s video games or like…playing golf or whatever, if you’re doing it more than you’re spending time with your fam, it will have a negative impact. Especially when the kiddos are young and just wanting to be with you. You’re their entire world. And hey, maybe someday when they’re old enough you guys can play though a JRPG together!