Serious Talk from the Server Mama

Every-so-often I am compelled to clarify my intentions for running a Minecraft Server for Homeschooling Families. More-over why I too play on these servers.

Let me start by saying that I enjoy your pm messages. I love the encouraging ones, the messages that say 'thank you', and the ones that chat with me regarding our wonderful kids.

I enjoy the questions for MC newbies asking how to get their child on the servers.

I even enjoy the frantic messages regarding the safety of MC and MC-like online games.

I understand having concerns. I understand being very, very cautious. Most of us are Homeschooling because we are protective and very in-tune to our children.

Know that we have the aspect of parent + teacher + protector in-common.

But I also get messages where concerns are raised regarding my intentions.

While I try to be understanding and place myself in the other's position. I too have been a Homeschool Parent whose children played on a homeschoolers-only sever hosted by another set of Homeschool parents. They too played on the server and some of the parents here, met me & my children there.

Spending my time to play on that server alongside my kids showed me the integrity of the hosts.

If you don’t know what or with whom your children are playing and this greatly concerns you, then play alongside them. Best Way to really know!

The idea that anyone would think my intentions malice or perverse makes me very sad and pretty upset. When this happens, which it does every so many months with an onset of new members & gamers; I clarify why I am a MC Mama, Gamer and Server Host. I also address the most common contested HG Server Rule: having your child's real first name set as their Nickname while playing on our server.

The reasoning seems very obvious to me but I have a few parents who refuse to let us put their players name as their Nick. So why do I have this rule?

Simple. I monitor and interact with about 28 active players on the server and they interact with each other. If a player comes in with the gamertag "dogownergamer" we have to call them "dog" every time we chat or refer to that player. Also, gamers change their tags. Knowing the actual name allows us to get to know that player regardless of what gamer tag they have. (some get really creative!)

Another reason is that I want the children to become Homeschool Friends. Much more chance of them becoming homeschooling friends (online or in real life) if they know eachother’s name. For instance, my children a few years ago was asked by a family member if they (being homeschooled) had any friends. Instead of them saying “Sure they are ‘tacogamer’ & ‘fairyfliesnorth’,” they could say, “Sure, we play with Thomas and Linda almost every day!” Ha!!

Lastly and most importantly; If we were face to face at a Homeschool convention, park meet-up, or anything else; you would not refuse to tell me your child's name. We too often do things on social media we would never do in-person. I get that but- I, like you and everyone here (this is a private group), homeschools. You can see my children, I can see yours. I'm not going to track you down but I would like us to connect on a level that we both have Homeschooling gamers, great kids, and a cool opportunity to teach through a game the whole family can play.

I do this because I want my children to have a safe place to play Minecraft with other homeschoolers.

I play because I love the game. I love the creative-ness of building anything I can imagine plus learning new skills at building and design.

I also love the parents. We are homeschoolers. We are awesome. I love the kids. They teach me, I teach them and we have so much fun challenging, building, and surviving together. ♥

So Many Blessings, Sara.