Games With Kids Aren't Fun

This past weekend Christine and I got to visit with some friends of ours who happen to have a young son, I believe he is 3 or 4 years old. Let me start off by saying, I really enjoy spending time with them, and their son, CJ, is the coolest, however there is always one thing I don't like when I hang out kids: They always want to play a game with you. At first I think OH COOL A GAME! I am super competitive and would love to mop the floor with my opponent, regardless of age. The problem is, beating a kid is very tough to do.

You have to be ready because, when you play a game with a kid, the rules can change at any second. We were playing a game of bingo, where the wheel had different barnyard animals on it that match up with your bingo sheet, if you get four in a row you win . . . or so I thought. Here I was just needing a brown horse to win when I hear CJ yell, "BINGO!" I look over, thinking I just lost, only to see CJ's score card with only two animals marked off and not even in a line, just two random animals. It was at this point that I found out, apparently you can win if you get two animals who just look like each other! I had no idea! Of course, upset with the sudden rule change, I slammed my board down and went outside to pace around for a bit. I then came back in to play another round. In this second round I lost because you can now also win by just getting ONE ANIMAL if you have seen it before in person. Here I am with a cow and a horse already marked off, both of which I have seen multiple times in my life and I just sat there like a sucker! I then promptly left and don't plan on speaking to CJ again.

So, for your benefit, here are some other rules to be aware of that could pop up next time you play a game with a small child:

- Battleship: It's not who sinks the other person's boats first, it's who can eat their own destroyer.

- Monopoly: Try to get the car because you are allowed to drive it to which ever space you need to get to at any point in time.

- Chutes and Ladders: It's really Ladders and Ladders, because all chutes can become ladders for your opponent.

- Tag: Be prepared, if you go to tag your opponent he may actually have an invisible fence around him you were unaware of.

- Video Games: You will automatically start without a fast car, strong character or, in some cases, even a joystick.