12 tell-tale signs you’re more addicted to Pokémon Go than your kids

There’s a (mostly) secret band of intrepid women, mature women over the age of 18, who’re hiding a dirty little secret from their friends and colleagues – and sometimes even from their kids. 

They’re Pokémoms! They’re secretly obsessed with potions, balls, lure modules and Pokéstops. They’re the Pokémon Go moms. And they’re kicking Pokémon butt wherever they go.

How do you tell if your interest in the game has become your latest OCD? Check out some of the tell-tale signs below, written by one such Pokémom.

1.     You start to panic a little when your ball supply reaches 10. Okay, you panic a lot. Then rearrange your day so you can sneak out to replenish supplies.

2.     You realise you’ve modified your normal routes to work or to the shops so that you can go past a Pokéstop.

3.     You’re glad when the traffic light changes to red as you approach an intersection in case you can catch a new Pokémon while your car is stationary.

4.     You reply on your teenager to tell you how to do something new, such as use a Lure Module or Razz Berry.

5.     You find yourself pacing around at night with the app open so you can try clock up enough mileage to hatch an egg.

6.     You pack the kids into the car when your ball supply is low, suggesting it may be nice to “go for a little drive”.

7.     You’ve trained your five-year-old to retrieve the freebies from a Pokéstop when you’re driving.

8.     You wish your Google Maps could be configured to work inside the app’s GPS, so you can find your way to a new destination, AND collect freebies from a Pokéstop en route.

9.     You secretly compete with your teenager, playing the game while they’re unable to do so at school, in the hopes of getting to a higher level than them.

10.  You walk around the office with your cellphone open on the app, but try to pretend you’re not actually trying to catch a Pokémon in the passageway.

11.  You wrap your phone in newspaper and take it with you when you go to the loo, hoping there may be a new Pokémon in there.

12.  You spend time while in meetings catching Pidgeys, Zubats or Eevees.