how board games saved the family!
here in montana - we have no t.v. ... no x-box ... and no dishwasher.
there is no local swimming pool. no mall to shop. no yoga studio within 100 miles.
the nearest real grocery store is an hour away.
so - we plan our meals for the week ... take turns washing dishes ... read books ... and play board games.
and we plan family activities - like fishing, hiking, camping, and exploring new places on the river.
i self practice on the deck - to the sound of the river, with the occasional flock of turkeys or random deer to keep my company.
the kids have chores - but not like at home. at home, the jobs they have can be put off until later. and they often get paid for them. here - they MUST do them. we depend on everyone to do their part. it's vital and necessary.
at the end of the evening, once the dinner dishes are done- we break out a board game. (and its amazing, now, how quickly the kitchen gets cleaned!) all iphones and computers must be put away - just because some of us have been known to cheat (billy!)
we have three favorites right now: trivial pursuit, scrabble, and taboo. we pick teams (usually boys against girls). and we get boisterous, loud, and might i say competitive? we laugh, we challenge, and we demand rematches!
at the end of our intense scrabble game last night, robert asked if he should turn on the cable ... and without hesitation, both kids emphatically said, NO.
i must say - this surprised me. at home, there are regular fights over the television. over who gets to watch their show. i nag billy to get off his x-box ... put a timer on it ... i've even hidden it at times to discourage. meghan sneaks off to her room to catch the episode of glee that she missed.
because as simple and beautiful as our life here may sound, it is certainly not what they are used to. can you right now imagine turning YOUR home into something short of pioneer days? (ok, so i'm exaggerating as we clearly have plumbing, electricity, not to mention, internet!)
i believe the true reason they so adamantly dissented on the cable is because they know once this happens - we will stop playing family board games. and deep down inside, i know they are right.
the simple truth is, each time we add something - we lose something too. in an effort to entertain and even bring ease into our lives - we must sacrifice something else.
keep in mind, my kids are 17 and 13 years old. these are teenagers who by all rights, should want to sequester themselves away. splinter from the family and get lost in their own world. yet i must ask, is this natural ... or of our own making?
i say, bring on the board games! perhaps i won't need a timer on COD (code for, call of duty). maybe there will be no debate on whose turn it is to choose their show. and what if ... just imagine ... if the usual splintering of the family is not as necessary as i once thought?
all these things we think are so necessary - simply are not.
do you have a family ritual? please share!
Posted by peg mulqueen at 7/23/2010 8:55 AM 
Categories: boardgames, family, yoga, montana
Tags: scrabble family time teenagers trivial pursuit
Categories: boardgames, family, yoga, montana
Tags: scrabble family time teenagers trivial pursuit
" i nag billy to get off his x-box ... put a timer on it ... i've even hidden it at times to discourage."
So glad I'm not alone in this. For my boy, it's the Wii, and although I haven't resorted to hiding it from him (yet), I do wonder how he'd entertain himself if it got completely taken away from him. Peg, I loved this blog entry and I look forward to the day when my family can do something like this too.
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Ah yes, those rituals that help us stay closer rather than apart. My boys are 6 and 8; we arrived yesterday in Europe totally jet lagged and very cranky. The urge to sleep when our room arrived was HUGE. Instead, I knew we had to find a park. Sure enough, the park made us happy and glad to be together. When a park isn't around Rebecca Plants Curiosity Cards (http://www.rebeccaplants.com/cards.asp) are - thank goodness - and keep us focused on what we can do together and keep us going in that direction. Thinking of you!
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