If you've got more than one kid, you know the grating sound of kids bickering over something or other. My kids generally get along fine, but the everyday squabbling, like arguing over whose squish ball it is, can really wear you down by the end of the day.
I'm no parenting expert, but lately, I've been trying to find easy ways to minimise the conflict.
The board game that made it worse
At first, I thought a classic board game would help them bond. Wasn't the best idea, to be honest. After the argument about who was going to be the bank, it all ended in tears when one of them bankrupted the other, which, to be fair, is the whole purpose of the game!
Why strategy games highlight the age gap
I read recently that games that revolve around pure strategy often just highlight the age gap. What works way better for us are games that rely on luck or chaos. No one has an automatic skill advantage, so no one feels outsmarted or targeted when they lose.
Games where they have to work together
The other type of game we are trying out are ones that encourage collaborative play, which means the kids need to work together to achieve their shared goal, i.e. to beat their parents.
We've been testing out a team version of our own game, The Golden Sausage Card Game. The kids have to work together to collect the four sausages. Since a teammate can block another player from targeting you, the kids aren't just finding ways to protect their own sausages, they're actually looking out for their sibling at the same time.
So far, things are looking positive on the collaborative play front.
Want to try the team version?
We've been working on a four player teams version, and the adults who've tried it seem to really enjoy it. We've played it plenty with our own kids, but we'd love some feedback from other families before we take it any further.
So if your family wants to give it a go, we'll send you the rule sheet. All the cards work exactly the same, so you're not relearning the game, it's just a slight variation.
Just email us at info@thegoldensausagecardgame.com and we'll send the rule sheet straight over. We'd genuinely love to know what you think.
I'd love to hear from other parents too: what do you do at home to keep the peace between kids?
