It’s easy! Plug this here and configure that and it will work. Not.
Challenges happen. Every day, you can wake up, look at the world, and say, “Today, I’m going to do my best.” Does it always happen? No. Let me share a something that reminded me that I can do more.
My son has been working hard on creating videos for his YouTube channel. I’ve shown my son how he can record himself playing games and he’s taken to it. He’s using an older computer to record and edit, as he learns more about streaming and game vlogging in the process. This world is entirely foreign to me. When I was his age, I was either trying to do tricks on my pushbike or helping deal with sheep on our family farm. We don’t have a farm anymore, and he’s not into bikes, but he is passionate about creating. So we support that journey as safely and enthusiastically as we can.
Recently, he wanted to try capturing gameplay from his Nintendo Switch. Some of the games he plays aren’t available on PC, so we did a bit of research and discovered that all we needed was a USB HDMI adapter. That would allow us to route the Switch through the computer and record both gameplay and commentary. ‘No problems’ Google and YouTube said.
The adapter arrived quickly. We plugged everything in and powered up the computer. Nothing happened.
We spent over an hour trying to debug the issue. We swapped out cables, tested the monitor on another device, reset the computer configuration — still, a blank screen. The PC refused to boot.
As a parent, I felt like a failure. The computer was working fine until I touched it. This seemed like a small thing — plug this in here, configure that — but it turned into a frustrating and unexpected roadblock. Everything was working just ten minutes before we plugged in the adapter, and oddly, the same setup worked fine on a laptop. But for whatever reason, the PC just doesn’t want to display anything.
But here’s the thing: this experience is where kids learn the most. They watch how we, as adults, handle setbacks. I know I can be short-tempered, and I had to remind myself, this wasn’t just about tech. It was about learning something new together.
My son felt comfortable offering ideas on how to fix it. And instead of shutting him down, I encouraged him to try things out. Everyone learns differently, and sometimes the best thing you can do is give someone space to figure it out for themselves. We shut the system down, reconfigured it the way he suggested, and tested again, together.
I’ve spent years tutoring at a college level. Guiding people toward answers and watching them uncover things on their own is one of the most rewarding ways to teach. Doing the same for your children can be even more powerful. But it requires you to step back and let go of control so they can grow.
The PC repair is probably going to cost more than it’s worth. But my son is learning about tech, persistence, problem-solving and dealing with adversity — and I’m learning how to let go and accept that I don’t always have the answers.
The Switch still works on the TV and there will be a Mario Cart battle on tonight for tomorrow is a new morning. A chance to breathe deeply, put your best foot forward, and find joy in the journey.