Monopoly

Kai enjoys this game very much. Kade gets about 4 or 5 turns into it and is done. I don't mind the game, but Jeff is not fond of it.

Jeff's thoughts continually go to the feelings that the game goes on forever. In light of this, he has now started to play where all the properties are divided amongst the players, an extra $1,000.00 goes to each player and then the game goes on as usual. This does speed up the game.

Even though this satisfies Jeff's need for a quicker game with an end, I have a harder time playing this way. I have never been really graceful at losing Monopoly in particular, for two reasons...I don't like the feeling of having everything taken away from me...second, I don't like the feeling of taking everything away from another person, either...so I am hurt when someone is enjoying the winning. I try to remember just to think of the fun of playing with someone. I do. Most times I can save myself from diving into that nasty place where I get upset about it, but sometimes I don't catch myself soon enough.

I still ask myself, though, why is it that I can play Shoots and Ladders and laugh at my ability to make it so close to the top and still take the longest slide down at the very last minute. It is comical the number of times I get so close. Same with games like Candy Land. I love gingerbread...think that might be why I seem to get that Gingerbread card when I am but a few squares from the rainbow end? I also love to play card games and generally do not have trouble playing them when I am on the losing side. So what is it about that Monopoly game that gets me so?

I was much happier when we could play from the beginning so we started with nothing and then finished the game when we were on our way to acquiring property and money. This seems so much happier to me...getting things...rather than taking things. I don't mind the time it takes. Eventually we all tire of sitting and acquiring and decide to do something new. Sometimes we even keep the game up and play the next day...and that is good for me, too, since we are still gaining rather than losing or taking.

However, open ended games are not something Jeff does well. So how do I find the balance of what he can do and what I can do? I'm still not sure. What I think I'll try next time is to see if we can't play the game two ways...one way with Jeff and one way with me. This will have to do for now...until I can figure out how to resolve my inner thoughts and make the seemingly win/lose situation seem more like a win/win.

I think it wont matter much to the boys...they still will want to play...and I'll still want to spend my time with them.