90 days of games {day 3}

I love that my kids are super committed to this, because, even though I was not in the mood at all to play a game, they reminded me!  And Hayden reminded me the most, because it was her day to pick the game, and the game she picked, and always picks is Clue.

I actually LOVE Clue, but Elliott HATES it.  Immediately he starts throwing a fit and having a bad attitude.  I tell him if he plays the game with a bad attitude we will play it 4 times in a row.  (When did threatening to play MORE games become a thing….well it worked)

So we played clue and it went PRETTY well.  I have to say, I am proud of the kids, glad we made it through the entire game with no major episodes, and happy that Elliott didn’t freak out when he didn’t win.

I will call today a win.

 

 

90 days of games {day 2}

Saturday!!  In many homes this is such a nice day of the week, I imagine children sleeping in, watching cartoons, doing their chores with a smile on their face, and a family spending time together, happily.

I KNOW I am living in fantasy land…but there has to be something better than the experience I am living in right now.  It’s non-stop fighting.  bickering. whining. ugh.

But today will be different!  Today we are on day 2 of playing games together.

So, today was a little more challenging to get our game squeezed in. There was snow to shovel off the roof, and basketball games to go to, and a baby to play with all day (ok that isn’t new)…

I decided to split the kids up today.  As soon as Jack went down for a nap I had Hayden pick out a game while Elliott went out to shovel with his dad.  It was really really fun.  Playing the game with Hayden made me realize, she is NOT the problem.  We played many rounds of Sorry, and it was great.  No fighting, no bad attitude, no whining…

Then came Elliott’s turn.  Sorry is his FAVORITE game, so he wanted to play that also.  Until, of course, I’m in the lead…then it’s no longer fun, and he starts making excuses, and trying to manipulate the game, and arguing about different plays.

I look at my son, that I love and adore SO MUCH.  He is my mini-me.  I cannot even describe at all how deeply I love him.  and I am SO FRUSTRATED, and I want to scream at him.  But I tell him, “Elliott.  You are making this game NOT FUN.”  “You are making it so that I want to throw this board in the garbage.  I just played with Hayden for an hour with no issues at all.  You are the reason we need to be playing games more.  You HAVE to work on your attitude.”

I couldn’t take anymore, so we were done for the day, but I am super glad I took the time to play with them individually to see where the real problem was.

90 days of games {day 1}

This morning I woke up and I told my kids the plan.  We would be playing games together everyday for 90 days.  The point?  To work on skills our family needs.  Communication, sharing, encouraging each other, laughing together, having fun together.

They were excited, I mean, who doesn’t want their mom to just play games every day with them, of COURSE they were excited.

So, school got out, I picked them up, and they started asking to play on the PS4, Ipad, etc.

“Don’t forget guys, we are starting our family experiment today!”

So, I got out Rummikub, which was one of my favorite games as a kid, made some popcorn and got ready for not a fun time.  I know, that sounds like a bad attitude, but I am not doing this challenge for nothing.  Our family does not play games well together.  Ok, I am kidding, I had a positive outlook.

The games weren’t great.  I am not gonna lie.  It totally sucked.

I can tell that it is mainly my son who needs this lesson.  He messes with the tiles, plays games with them when it isn’t his turn, has to constantly be reminded that it is his turn, and really, Really, REALLY drives me bonkers.

Is is bad that I had to THREATEN the kids that we WOULD NOT STOP PLAYING unless they stopped fighting??  Well, I did.  and we played 2 rounds. and my husband came home from work and said, “ummmm…this does not look like fun…”

Yes, I rubbed p&c all over everyone. 

But I am not giving up.  This was only day 1.