1-2-3 Quiet Game

We were having volume problems in the car some time back with the children so we decided to play the quiet game.  They didn’t get the rules at first but they picked up after a few times.   Mostly they thought the whole thing was funny, even though no one was remaining quiet for very long.

The next evolution in the game was my daughter’s insistence that we play, “123quietgame” so named because of how quickly she would run together the words.    She would start a game and then twelve seconds later, before anyone had even made a noise, end the game by starting the game again.    We had a few conversations about how a game usually went, suggesting we wait until someone makes a noise before starting the game again.

For some time now if anyone needs a reduction of volume in the car they can say, “1-2-3 Quiet Game” as a request for us all to tone it down.   Usually it’s my daughter making the request, although my son likes to kick off a game from time to time.

Tonight I saw the next evolution in the game.   My children had picked up on something my husband and I were doing which was pointing at the person who spoke/laughed/made a noise to let them know they were out of the game.   By doing this you’re still in the game yourself.   Tonight my daughter started a game as we all went to dinner with my mother.   When someone talked both my son and daughter immediately pointed at them.  

For the first time, we got through a game or two where we had a true “winner”, meaning everyone was out except one person.   More commonly one person would say something and then the game would start over or fizzle out.

We had a lot of fun trying to get my son to crack tonight.   He finally lost one time to my husband who turned around at a stop light and made my son laugh just by looking at him.    It was a fun ride to dinner.

The Big Boy Tiny Girl Train Interaction:   On the way to dinner we were passing near train tracks. The adults heard the train’s horn and told the children to listen.   Unfortunately, the train had moved on and after a bit we started talking again.   My son wasn’t ready to give up on hearing the train and said very emphatically, “wait, everybody be quiet.  I think I hear the train.”   My daughter replied, “well, I think that was my nose.”