The Trick to Getting a Break From Toddler Board Games Without Making Your Kiddo Sad

I’m going to tell you a trick to get a break from board games that I figured out when my youngest was little and in love with Candyland.

But, before I do, let me say that I’ve played numerous, endless games of Candyland (and all other sorts of games) with my kids, and I still do. So, no judging a poor “over-Candylanded” mom for using a trick to get a break every now and then! If you’ve ever played Candyland yourself you know it’s a special brand of torture, especially when you think the end is in site and then that darned Gingerbread Man or Candy Cane card gets drawn… The thought of being almost done with the game, and knowing those cards were still in the deck that had been reshuffled and gone through 3 times already, nearly drove me to anxiety. I can’t be the only one, right??? (=

Anyway, the trick is SO SIMPLE! I can’t believe I didn’t discover it with my first kid! One day I was in the middle of folding laundry and Cabot wanted to play Candyland again. I said sure, and told him to get it set up. Then when I got done folding the laundry I really wanted to reheat the cup of tea that I had already reheated 3-4 times that day. So, I asked Cabot if he would do my turn for me while I ran up and reheated my tea. He did. When I came back down with my freshly reheated tea he was already multiple turns in and he gave me an update on how I was doing. He was having SO MUCH FUN taking my turns for me!! I think it has something to do with how helpful little kiddos like to be, he was very proud of the fact that he was helping me. So, I asked him if he wanted to keep doing my turns while I sat down there with him and drank my tea and read a little bit – he thought that was a great idea, and a new way of playing Candyland was born. (=

Once I realized how much Cabot loved playing for me we turned this into a regular occurrence. I’d play a game with him, and then I’d have him play a game for me while I made supper, folded laundry, or just drank some tea and read. It was a winning situation for both of us. (=

On a side note: Did I ever tell you about the time I caught him stacking the deck before a game of Candyland we played together?? (=  I had a talk with him about cheating, but on the inside I was thinking, “If I just let him stack the deck this endless game would be over so much faster!”  But, sadly, sometimes being a parent means you have to suffer another centuries-long game of Candyland so you can teach your kiddo right from wrong. (=