Should there be a 'parenting' skill? - Page 2

Sam Baughn · 07-14-2009, 08:03 AM

Shouldn't that kind of thing be covered by the Housekeeping skill?

lazlo_woodbine · 07-14-2009, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perfect Organism

Shouldn't that kind of thing be covered by the Housekeeping skill?

That skill seems to cover mostly cleaning, cooking and minor repairs, rather than sucessfully influencing the behaviour of young ones, and looking after helpless babies.

pnewman · 07-14-2009, 08:18 AM

There already is a Parenting skill, at least in previous editions. It's called 'Professional skill: childrearing' (IQ/A). See the GURPS Car Warriors stats for 'Emily Caruthers' on p 32. [SJG 6402, 1987]

quarkstomper · 07-14-2009, 08:47 AM

Parenting is a skill, but most people have it at default.

Mgellis · 07-14-2009, 09:09 AM

I'm going to try to "reverse engineer" from the fact that there isn't a Child Care skill in the 4th edition rules...

This suggests that child care is treated as part of IQ (and Will and Perception and...). This is not to say that taking care of children is not hard work (trust me, fellow gamers, if you don't have children...being a parent is the hardest, best work you will ever do), but the actual tasks--heating up fish sticks in a toaster oven, telling a story, playing Candyland, changing diapers, handling basic discipline like time outs, fielding questions about why Mr. Squirrel had to die or why that lady over there is so fat, etc.--are mostly common sense things anyone can do without special training, education, etc.

Someone who is an "expert" (e.g., Jo in Supernanny, etc.) probably has an optional specialty of Teaching (Early Education) and/or Psychology (Child Behavior).

I suppose if you have to treat it as a skill, it would be a Professional Skill, with a default of IQ-5, but most tasks are routine (+4), so anyone can do them at IQ-1. Someone with one point of skill (IQ-2) would now be able to handle those routine tasks at skill+4 or IQ+2.

I hope this helps.

Mark

David Johansen · 07-16-2009, 02:37 PM

In my experience it's Physical (Strength) Hard and requires specialization for each child. I think for mothers the stat might be Health but fatherhood seems to be primarily about lifting and carrying.

nerdvana · 07-16-2009, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Johansen

In my experience it's Physical (Strength) Hard and requires specialization for each child. I think for mothers the stat might be Health but fatherhood seems to be primarily about lifting and carrying.

Fatherhood is not that different from motherhood (with the major exceptions of not birthing and not breastfeeding, naturally). (I am speaking on this as the father of three...)

Mehmet · 07-14-2009, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perfect Organism

Shouldn't that kind of thing be covered by the Housekeeping skill?

I am very efficient and fast when I am working on our home - I have some improved default or a couple of points in housekeeping - but when I'm dealing with my daughter, I'm far, far behind my wife... Also, I do not agree that it is an easy skill :)

Cheers

jason taylor · 07-14-2009, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perfect Organism

Shouldn't that kind of thing be covered by the Housekeeping skill?

What if they are refugees taking care of someone in the middle of the wilderness? This would be very likely to come up in a game.

What if they are an elder sibling who has little to do with running the house but much to do with taking care of the young'uns?

What if they are a babysitter?

Mathulhu · 07-14-2009, 04:35 PM

Think about it as a modelling problem
A PC is interacting with an NPC is a multitude of different ways over a huge time span, at least 10 years.

Would you really want to model that with a single skill?

To save time and energy you might fudge it with a single roll, but would that feel right?

07-14-2009, 08:03 AM	#1
Sam Baughn Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and some other bits.	Re: Should there be a 'parenting' skill? Shouldn't that kind of thing be covered by the Housekeeping skill?

07-14-2009, 08:18 AM	#3
pnewman Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Anchorage, Alaska	Re: Should there be a 'parenting' skill? There already is a Parenting skill, at least in previous editions. It's called 'Professional skill: childrearing' (IQ/A). See the GURPS Car Warriors stats for 'Emily Caruthers' on p 32. [SJG 6402, 1987]

07-14-2009, 08:47 AM	#4
quarkstomper Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: The Enchanted Land-O-Cheese	Re: Should there be a 'parenting' skill? Parenting is a skill, but most people have it at default.

07-14-2009, 09:09 AM	#5
Mgellis Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Flushing, Michigan	Re: Should there be a 'parenting' skill? I'm going to try to "reverse engineer" from the fact that there isn't a Child Care skill in the 4th edition rules... This suggests that child care is treated as part of IQ (and Will and Perception and...). This is not to say that taking care of children is not hard work (trust me, fellow gamers, if you don't have children...being a parent is the hardest, best work you will ever do), but the actual tasks--heating up fish sticks in a toaster oven, telling a story, playing Candyland, changing diapers, handling basic discipline like time outs, fielding questions about why Mr. Squirrel had to die or why that lady over there is so fat, etc.--are mostly common sense things anyone can do without special training, education, etc. Someone who is an "expert" (e.g., Jo in Supernanny, etc.) probably has an optional specialty of Teaching (Early Education) and/or Psychology (Child Behavior). I suppose if you have to treat it as a skill, it would be a Professional Skill, with a default of IQ-5, but most tasks are routine (+4), so anyone can do them at IQ-1. Someone with one point of skill (IQ-2) would now be able to handle those routine tasks at skill+4 or IQ+2. I hope this helps. Mark

07-16-2009, 02:37 PM	#6
David Johansen Join Date: Dec 2005	Re: Should there be a 'parenting' skill? In my experience it's Physical (Strength) Hard and requires specialization for each child. I think for mothers the stat might be Health but fatherhood seems to be primarily about lifting and carrying. __________________ http://www.neutralgroundgames.com

07-14-2009, 04:35 PM	#10
Mathulhu Join Date: May 2009	Re: Should there be a 'parenting' skill? Think about it as a modelling problem A PC is interacting with an NPC is a multitude of different ways over a huge time span, at least 10 years. Would you really want to model that with a single skill? To save time and energy you might fudge it with a single roll, but would that feel right?