It takes little effort and doesn’t cost a thing to squeeze a bit of family fun time into your day.
Sure we have a few board games, The My Little Pony version of Candyland is extremely popular in our house right now. But less hassle and more spontaneous is the timeless “Would you rather…” game.
We play it often at the dinner table. It starts simply enough, with making each other decide which animal they would prefer to be or which (usually gross) food they’d rather eat.
The questions evolve from there.
Mark: Would you like to live in a world where Pokemon were real…but they were all there was to eat?
Violet: “What would you rather have as a pet, a blanket that’s alive or FACES, like just a bunch of people’s faces without bodies?“
Me: Would you rather live in a dumpster alone forever or in a beautiful castle, but with Voldemort ?
These questions can sometimes lead to some uncomfortable revelations. For example, Violet chose the castle for that last one, but added that she’d also just become evil herself because it wasn’t like she could beat Voldemort. Considering that we watch the series once a year and it’s like 20 hours of good battling evil where we root for the good, she was a little too pragmatic here for my liking.
Even Lily takes a turn asking questions, even if they sometimes don’t make sense or seem to be a part of some bigger game that she’s playing in her mind.
“Mommy and Daddy,” She cheerfully began one night. “Which one of you is LYING?”
A little confused, I told her that neither one of us was lying and she put on a vaguely triumphant smile and declared, “Well than YOU are The Lying.”
That sort Labrynthian riddle logic is why, with my smallest, I’m never sure if I should be impressed or worried.
I actually play a real world version of this game every day.
Would I rather have us go into debt for my kid’s dental work or my husband’s?
Should I pay the electric bill, or be on time with rent?
Should I just cancel this playdate do to my surging, stress- triggered social anxiety or go and risk weirding out the other parents, killing my child’s chance at ever being invited to future playdates with these people? CHOSING WRONG COULD RUIN HER SOCIALLY, SHE’LL BE DROPPING OUT OF SCHOOL AT FOURTEEN TO RUN OFF WITH SOME GUY SHE MEETS ON THE INTERNET AND IT WILL BE ALLLL MY FAUUULT…
Regular pasta or organic, whole wheat pasta? REGULAR PASTA OR ORGANIC WHOLE WHEAT PASTA?! GOOD GOD THIS IS SO IMPORTANT!!
Playing with the kids is much kinder and besides, no adult I’ve ever hung out with asks me if I’d rather be a baby red panda or a raccoon so this truly is quality time for all of us.
