Family Game Night Fun

Board Games Are Not A Thing of The Past

Most of my childhood was spent without a television in the house. When we did finally get a TV, we didn’t have cable. I spent my days playing outside, reading and playing board games. Monopoly and Strattego were favorites for my sister and I. Fast forward to my kids and board games are just pretty boxes down a toy aisle at Target.

A few years back, we instituted random Family Game Nights. During this time electronics were off and it was mandatory to participate. My kids are 5 years apart so it was hard finding games that worked for both of them. I decided, we needed to learn how to play Bunco. It soon became a favorite with both my daughter and son. We added other dice games such as LCR and Toss Up.

The past year our schedules were so crazy we had only had 1 Family Game Night. This Christmas vacation I decided that was going to change and made every night  Family Game Night. A few nights were spent with my parents so we brought the games with us. Nothing is funnier than watching my 8 year old teach my mom how to play Bunco. I kept thinking shouldn’t it be the other way around.

We discovered new games such as 5 Seconds (my husband has banned me from playing) and Spot It. Oldies were revived when they tried to beat dad in Monopoly, Clue and Yahtzee. If you ask us about our Yahtzee games I am afraid I will have to plead the 5th. We laughed so hard we cried and if anyone would have been watching they would have thought we got into a big batch of eggnog.

My children actually got along for 2 straight weeks without arguing. Yes, I am being honest 8 and 14 and no arguments. I didn’t have to force them to or threaten them with punishments for not getting along. They also never hesitated when asked to do household chores. I realized after the 1st week it wasn’t because of the gifts they received for Christmas but instead because the gift they received of Family Time.

They had our undivided attention every night for hours. We talked, laughed, won and lost together and it cost us nothing. When I balanced my checkbook on Monday, I also realized I had saved. There were no charges for PPV, DVD rentals, video game rentals, movie tickets, or dinners out. Family Game Night has now been reinstated as a mandatory Friday Night Event.

I urge everyone to pick their own Family Game Night and see the magic that will happen when you stop and take time to spend with each other. You may not solve the National Debt Crisis but you will notice that there is a few more dollars in your pocket and bigger smiles on their faces.

Hi I’m Gwendolyn and I have been a stay at home mom since 2009. I have been with my husband, James, for 10 years and we are proud parents of Jayme (8) and Nicholas (14). We are also parents to 3 dogs, 2 cats, 1 hamsters, 2 fish and a snake. My father-in-law lives with us so it is always non-stop at our house. I had the honor of becoming a step-parent when I got married and have a great relationship with my step-son. I always used coupons and shopped for bargains but was forced to step up my game when my husband was disabled in 2005. I get an incredible rush from saving money and finding great deals. My life is a constant journey and I look forward to sharing it with you all.