This week’s Game Freak focuses on ways to pre-game with your parents for the football game, both sober and, well, not.

To most UA students, especially the freshmen whose parents have been missing them for months, Family Weekend is a time to look forward to, a time when we can share the fun that is college with our parents, and show them how we live.

All right, so that does paint a pretty rosy picture — because let’s face it, I highly doubt anyone is running to show their parents that they can pound 10 shots in 15 minutes — but just because the ‘rents are in town doesn’t mean your weekend plans are ruined.

In fact, while some parents won’t condone the drinking so many college students partake in on the weekends, you’d be surprised at how many do. Parents were in college once too, or at the very least were our age before. There was a time when many a mother and father spent their night with a drink in their hand and a stumble in their step.

So even if you’re worried about what your parents will think, try and be open to partying it up with them this weekend. Sure, that might mean going a little easier than you’re used to, but package it as a way to reconnect and spend more time together (and since it’ll also make you go a little easier than when you drink with people who didn’t birth you, the odds of your parents being interested might increase too).

A bar would be the easiest place to bring the parents, but that isn’t conducive to the games, which I am all about.

A better idea — bring them to the tailgate of the Arizona-Oregon game on Saturday. Then all you need is a table, red cups and refreshments.

For those willing to live life on the edge, try organizing a “pro-parent party.” It might be weird to roll into a random house party with your dad, but if there’s one with a “bring your parents” theme, it becomes acceptable.

Regardless, every drinking game becomes more fun when parents are involved, if only because there’s a good chance they’ve never played them before.

It goes without saying that beer pong is a must so they can begin to understand the ways of college partying. You can play with one parent and challenge a rival family or go children against parents for a real underdog story.

Same idea goes with flip cup, arguably the second most popular drinking game. Do not go excluding anyone either — I have a friend who demolished his brother and father when he partnered with his grandma in a game of beer pong.

There are other games you can play too, but what I suggest doing is seeing what kind of drinking games your parents played when they were your age. Let them have the advantage of experience and see if it gets them anywhere. Either way, you might end up learning a cool new game you can bring to other parties.

Of course, it would be wrong to assume that everyone drinks, but the idea does not change much. The football game is still one of the best ways to spend the family weekend having fun, and the tailgate beforehand is an ideal pregame.

For a nice sober way to game, spring for a corn toss beanbag game. It is an investment, but it is a nice, casual way to compete with your family and catch up on missed time while doing it. Basic rules are this: played in doubles or singles, players throw beanbags from one side of the cornhole board — most times painted to look like a football field — into holes on the opposing team’s side. Played in innings, the match usually lasts until one team reaches 21.

Whatever you do, spend the time with your family well, and be safe. It’s all fun and games until you’re the one helping your parents stand straight.

— Jason Krell is a junior studying creative writing and Italian. He can be reached at arts@wildcat.arizona.edu.