Games – we have played them with the girls from as young as they could understand and they are an integral part of our family time together. We have a whole cupboard dedicated to games, and I truly believe they are amazing for so many reasons…
If our family have been busy and not had time to connect as a whole, often the way we do this is by having a game at the dinner table, before, after or during dinner. It can sometimes escalate and end up with cards being thrown across the table and doors being slammed after the loser, or the person who isn’t getting their way, exits {stage left} in an almighty huff. Other times, there’s oodles of laughter, and smiles and looks of fun and encouraging words of grand sportsmanship.
There can be humble losers (often the parents), sore losers, jubilant chair dancing winners, and all that comes in between.
I guess the games reflect mini life events for me, and in each there can be a lesson; how to stay humble, how to not give up, how to encourage, how to show empathy, and how you need resilient when events change without you wanting them to – no one really likes losing, and whether we lose at a game or it’s something “bigger” the game has offered us practice and a safe space to gauge all these things.
The only drawback that annoys me sometimes is the competitive nature of it, but again, this trait can serve us in the big scary world so that we ensure our voice can be heard when we have something we believe in worth saying.
So my advise to you, is play games with your kids – structured games, they are awesome! Of course other games that aren’t so structured are fabulous too, but start them young on little matching games and snap, then games like Uno and checkers and as they get older they will begin to understand and be patient with things like turn taking and sitting still and focussing on one thing for an extended period of time, all skill that will serve them later!
Big games advocate over here! We are still playing them loads and the 14 year old asks to play games all the time! Because, it’s quality time we get to spend together, and that’s important.
No sore losers were harmed in the making of this image, just a teen not wanting to have her photo taken 😉
Jess x