Newsobserver.com - Blake is 16, resides in North Raleigh and lives to play video games. On this night, he's at the Fox and Hound in Raleigh's North Hills shopping district. It's the restaurant's regular Sunday "Guitar Hero" night, and Blake and his family have come to watch and play. His brother and sister are here, as are his mom and dad, an aunt and an uncle, some cousins and some friends.  This is not a competitive environment, so the score hardly matters. But his attitude about it underscores some Peebles family truisms: Blake is so dedicated to gaming that his parents let him quit school so he can better concentrate on it. They pay for home tutors instead. Mom and Dad do this, even though there are very few people in this country who make their living playing competitive video games.  That is not to say that it was an easy decision for them to let Blake leave school last September. They would have preferred that he stay in high school with his brother. But he bugged them until they let him quit.  "We couldn't take the complaining anymore," says Hunter. "He always told me that he thought school was a waste of time." Blake has done well in local tournaments, including one held at a Chick-fil-A that earned him 52 combo meals.

Listen I know great parenting when I see it and this is great parenting!   I mean what are you supposed to do when your kid won’t stop bugging you to quit school and become a full time Guitar Hero player?    Sure you could be a hard ass and make your kid get an “education,” but then you’d have to put up with the nagging.  No fucking thanks.  This is a win, win for everybody.    And the proof is in the pudding.  Kid won 52 combo meals at Chick-fil-A.   I’d like to see the dorks in honors Algebra class do that.