Life is a game

I am frequently looking for creative ways to teach my children life lessons. This is because the little stumps don't listen to me when I speak in a normal, calm tone. I sometimes wonder if they are playing a long term practical joke so I shout at everyone I meet.

In a duel attempt to be 'fun loving' and 'intentional' I decided I would play a board game with them last week. We played "The Game of Life".

My main goals were simple:

1) Have fun with the kids.
2) Teach them some basic money management.

It turns out "The Game of Life" has little bearing on reality. The wages:bills ratio isn't reflective of our mortgage, there is no "You're addicted to World Of Warcraft, you lose your job and family due to neglect" square, and apparently driving over a mountain nets you $300,000.

One difference in our strategies was that both kids took pride in having kids of their own. I was reminded of Cletus calling out his kids on the Simpsons. Whereas I was sending them a subtle message of being happily married with no kids, and my wife liked to sit in the back while I drove. And I drove a Rolls Royce.

In hopes to aid my older daughter in counting and money management I had her be the banker. This alone thwarted both goals.

She easily forgot WHERE the money was coming from and going to. A quick recap, from my perspective:

"No honey, you can't take your sisters money that she owes the bank and keep in in your pile. That is larceny."
"Darling, we pay our bills from our own money, not the bank. That is misappropriation."
"You little thief, you gave yourself $300,000 when it said you have won $30,000."
"You're not supposed to skim unless you give yourself backdated stock options!!!!"

It reminded me of Enron, or perhaps Arrested Development. Suffice to say the game ended early by a cataclysmic death to all of us by an "Act of Dad" and thus, an early bedtime.

Clearly Life is a game I'm bound to lose, but maybe injustice will prevail and the little miscreant will earn her fortune by stealing from the rich and giving to herself. Then I can live in her basement and play World of Warcraft.