SEC-S30W2: Family Bonding Activities

I am grateful in this challenge as it somehow pushed me to pause everything and intentionally create mindful, quality time with my kids.

For this week, we chose two activities. The first is a board game, and we picked Monopoly. The second activity is a video game. We used our Nintendo Switch and played Super Mario Party Jamboree.

Monopoly is a strategy game about economics where each player can buy or trade properties, railroads, or utility companies, and collect rent from their opponents. The player who accumulates the most money and property wins the game, while the one who goes bankrupt or ends up with the least money loses.

On the other hand, Mario Jamboree is a multiplayer video game that can either be played cooperatively or individually. Players can work together to win against computer-controlled players, or compete in mini-games where each player earns ranks and prizes.

Who enjoyed it the most?
All of us enjoyed the games. However, I noticed that my eldest son probably enjoyed it the most since he is the more playful one. He really loves it whenever we have family quality time like this.

What were the challenges?
There were a few challenges that we encountered.

The first challenge was simply finding the right time when everyone was available. The kids have school in the morning and afternoon, while my husband and I work mid-shift. Because of this, our only available time was during the weekend. But even then, there are still chores to do and the kids have nap time, so it was still a bit challenging to find a moment when everyone was ready and present.

The second challenge happened during the Monopoly game. My youngest kept grabbing the dice, and we had to remind him several times to wait for his turn. At the beginning of the game, he was very excited and eager for it to be his turn so he could move his token.

The third challenge was explaining to the kids what it means when they are losing. Emotional regulation can still be difficult at their age. We kept reminding them that it is just a game and that the main objective is to have fun together.

What were the gains, and did it help bond your family in a special way?

There were actually many gains from these two activities.

With Monopoly, we allowed the kids to make decisions on their own, especially in handling money. Since my eldest wanted to be the banker, we let him do the calculations in his head. He was able to answer correctly and manage the banker role while also playing his own turn. Meanwhile, with our youngest, we asked if he wanted to buy properties and helped him identify the money and count the result of the dice. These things may have slowed down the game a little, but we saw how it helped build their confidence because they were given the chance to decide for themselves.

Another gain was better communication. In Mario Jamboree, we had to work together in order to win against the computer-controlled players and succeed in the mini-games. I felt proud seeing how my kids are getting better at communicating and coordinating with each other during the game.

There was one moment when my youngest was struggling to complete the first stage, and our progress depended on him passing the ball to reach the next level. My eldest started blaming him, but we reminded him to cheer for his brother instead of scolding him for not getting it right. He immediately became quiet and showed more patience toward his little brother. On the other hand, my youngest showed grit by continuing to try rather than giving up or getting upset.

As a family, these activities helped us bond through fun and meaningful quality time. We communicated better and worked together to complete tasks. I am grateful for this opportunity to experience this stage with my boys now that they are a bit older. Their communication has improved so much.

We have done similar activities before, but this was the first time my youngest was able to finish a full board game, and all of us stayed attentive the entire time without being distracted by phones, gadgets, or social media.

Family activities like these truly help create a stronger and more connected family.

Note:
Images are edited from Canva
I am new at Steemit, thus limited friends. Cc’ing fellow Filipinos to support @kyrie1234, @bisdako, @loloy2020