Sometimes I try really hard to stop liking Joanna Gaines, mostly because I grew up in the eighties and nineties and when a girl was great at things this was our go-to. Intense dislike. But she's just so darn nice and down-to-earth while being good at everything that I just can't bring myself to dislike her. Maybe it means I'm finally growing up, or maybe I just like how the woman rolls. I know I'm a fan of her most recent Instagram featuring two of her kids. As a product of the eighties myself, I love to see that Joanna Gaines' kids are all about old school arcade games. Because who doesn't love a little Frogger, am I right?
The mom of five is currently spending the summer on her farm outside of Waco, Texas with her family. This includes her husband and business collaborator Chip Gaines, and their five kids; 13-year-old Drake, 11-year-old Ella Rose, 10-year-old Duke, 8-year-old Emmie Kay, and brand new baby boy Crew. After five seasons of hosting HGTV's Fixer Upper with Chip on top of running the Magnolia empire, spending a little more time at home with the kids is clearly agreeing with the 40-year-old mom.
Especially when she can sneak pictures of her kids doing regular kid things like playing video games.
Joanna caught sons Drake and Duke curled up on the couch (side bar: how much do you love it that she's down with Duke having his feet up on the couch?), playing old versions of Pac-Man and Frogger. She captioned the photo:
Welp, @fortnite has nothing on #Frogger and #Pac-Man
So here is what is so great about this; Joanna isn't trying to get all sanctimonious and pretend her kids never play video games, which I love. But she's encouraging them to branch out a little and go a little old school rather than just following along with a trend. Plus, think about the thumb dexterity it must take to play those tiny games. They're quite a workout.
This isn't the first time Joanna has shared a picture of her kids playing old school games. Back in January 2017, she shared a picture of Duke and Chip playing Galaga, a Japanese arcade game from 1981.
Joanna captioned that photo:
Got some old school games for the office... Now I can't get them to leave #galaga
Of course, Chip would obviously be down to play old school video games with his kids. As we have all seen time and again on both Chip and Joanna's social media accounts (as well as on Fixer Upper), Chip is just a big kid himself. And he sure does seem to love hanging out with them, as Joanna told E! Online in April:
I've always admired how he plays pretend with the kids and connects with them in that way. And just like he draws me out, he's always done the same with them.
New baby Crew included, obviously.
While Chip and Joanna are happy to indulge a little time with the electronics, she recently wrote on her Magnolia blog that they enforce a strict rule of no cell phones at the dinner table in the Gaines' household. A rule she hopes will translate to her Magnolia restaurant, where she has installed tasteful leather pouches for cell phones to be hidden away while guests eat.
This is perhaps the most appealing thing about Joanna Gaines, both as a human and a mother; she's all about balance. She's not judging her kids for wanting to play video games, she's giving them options. Encouraging them to be individuals.
And now I wish she was my mom too.
