Parenting is Hard!

7 CommentsMental Illness
Image: http://ronalynbarut.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/02/bleh.html

Image: http://ronalynbarut.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/02/bleh.html

Everyone says things that add up to “good parents let their kids win games” and shit like that. Here’s the thing, though: Somebody has to teach them how to lose, and it shouldn’t be some jackass kid.

Last night I played Magic: the Gathering with the Boy for the new series I’m writing for GeekDad called TCGs for the Rest of Us. Well, not so much as “for the series” as much as “to get him to stop asking me to play Minecraft all day.” But I got to write it off as work, so whatever.

When I suggested the game, he asked if he could play my “pop” deck, which totally wins every game around here. I said sure, and resigned myself to a loss. Thing is, he never attacked. He built a ridiculous army, and let me kill him with spells. It was heart breaking to see the shock on his face. But, it’s a lesson he will remember forever. Attack is your best Defense sometimes. Especially when you could have won the game 10 turns back, but didn’t because you were scared of your enemy.

So, he cried, and we talked it out. He understands why he lost, and now he’s mostly just disappointed that he didn’t get to play Minecraft as well.

I’m still upset about my friend’s death, and I didn’t really talk much today. I did get a lot done, and I’m ready for my next 15 projects. Because, who needs free time, right? Anyway, I’m going to spend the entire day cleaning and taking “Sherlock” breaks. Yep, you heard me. I’m going to watch t.v. voluntarily even. It’s just that all my friend watch the show, it’s one of my favorite books, and damnit, I hate being out of the loop on cool British shows.

I’ll be in and out today, but feel free to hit me up on the Facebook page. I’d love to hear from you!

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7 Comments

  1. Tina

    I think it is probably easier for kids to learn about losing from a parental figure because an adult will talk to them about it and how to do it differently next time. If they learn from other kids they will probably get picked on by the other kids for losing and not knowing how to deal with it. And on a side note Sherlock is an okay show…. well its better than anything else that is on on Thursday nights. Although it’s a little weird to watch it if you have recently watched one of the Sherlock Holmes movies.

    • Rory

      I saw one of the movies a while back. Didn’t really “click” because it didn’t feel like Sherlock Holmes. Felt like an action flick.

  2. zooey

    Some of the best things we can teach kids includes how to lose and also to understand that not everything is fair in life. Good that other things we teach them are fun too. 🙂

  3. Astrid

    I can totally understand your feeling upset, but I agree with Zooey and you. Parenting needs not be all rose-colored. For a child, their upbringing needs to have been good enough, not perfect, and a child needs to have a few needs met in their upbringing. Alwya sgetting their way is not among them.

  4. Jenny Williams

    Yup. Sometimes it’s the parent’s job to be the “bad” guy. Learning to say “no” to your child is a perfect example, and one of the most important. It’s not your job to make their life easy. It’s your job to love them and prepare them for the world. You just have to do it in a way that will also make them feel loved, accepted, supported, and included.

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