Family Game Night

Tonight we had our first in a new series of family game nights.  Unfortunately, my husband couldn't attend because he was on a board meeting call.  Things should have been fun and easy, but there were turns for the worse.

The children picked out three games and wanted to play all three.  We were playing games that were by Peaceable Kingdom, a company that designs games where the players are playing against the game so you're all teammates.   The children like these games and I think they're all quite clever.   The first one was Hoot Owl Hoot, which went well with us beating the game and getting our little hoot owls to the nest before the sun rose. 

The second game is where it all went horribly wrong.  My children were both interested in who goes first and they didn't like not going first.   But my son adjusted to it without a problem and moved on.  For the second game my daughter wanted the board facing her and so as a means of compromise, since my son wanted it facing him, I said we'd let her have it in her direction and then her brother would go first. 

She lost it completely.   She was so angry she refused to play, insulted us, chanted that she hoped we. would lose, tried to come back over to play, which we let her, and then complained because she didn't know what was going on and why were we so mean to not let her play?

There were all sorts of things said that were untrue.   I said on multiple occasions, "this is all over going first—when we're playing as a team."   She tried to destroy the game, attack us.  It was unsettling to see her so angry and I knew there was more to it than just going first.  

Later, after the games were over, she and I talked.   She isn't thinking about how things look from the other person's perspective and she draws conclusions that might not even be close to the truth.   She understands better now (maybe) and hopefully this means our next game night won't be so volatile. 

The Big Boy Update:  I saw my son's perspective for the first time tonight.   He didn't try to attack his sister, he put up with her aggravating behavior and insults and then fought back when she attacked him.   We've thought it was him as the aggressor, but I'm starting to think it's her more than him of late.

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  My daughter got so angry tonight that she tried to attack me.   I had moved away from her so when she launched at me, I wasn't there.   This has to be even more infuriating, knowing someone can evade you easily just by taking a few steps.   She is over being mad, but it was most definitely not a good first game night of the year for her tonight.