Candy Land Lessons

I may have mentioned earlier that CandyLand (or, as Clara refers to it, "Candy Castle") is the current obsession in our house. We pack in a few games a day.

As my competitor is a three-year-old, it's interesting the quirks and life lessons I've picked up by playing with her.

#1) Since she is still way to young for the competitive stage that crops up around 7 (depending on the kid), the game is all about the journey. The object is simply to play the game. The act of playing is enjoyment in itself. When one of us wins, whether it's me or her, the winner is gleefully announced, "You're at the Candy Castle!" Which is immediately followed by, "let's start again!"

It doesn't matter who wins.

What a precious time in her development! Furthermore, I love that she's been the one who was able to re-teach me that.

#2) For those who have become unfamiliar with CandyLand, the point is to take your player down the rainbow-colored road of sweets on the way to the Candy Castle. On the way you pass Cupcake Commons, Ice Cream Slopes, a Gingerbread House, the Popscicle Palace and the Chocolate Mountain (in that order). So when Mario or I draw the Cupcake card, which forces us to return to almost the beginning, we groan a bit. Clara, however, will draw the cupcake card and shouts, "Oh boy! I got the cupcake!!" She is equally excited for all the various candy destinations on the board, even the Licorice Lagoons, which force her to lose a turn. No matter. She's on the candy square and that's pretty cool.

While drawing these special cards is the highlight of any round of CandyLand for her, she is happy to share the joy. Whenever I get a candy card (even if it's the Chocolate one, which puts me almost at the end) she always puts her seal of approval on the turn saying, "I like it when you get the Chocolate."

I've been known to be a little too competitive when playing games, and her graciousness has reminded me why we play games in the first place.

And when she tells me that she likes it when I get the cupcake, it's not because that card sent me back to the beginning. It's because she thinks it's a pretty great spot to be. She'd like to be there. (No matter that it means starting over.) But if she can't be there, she's genuinely happy I'm there.

It's a little overwhelming to be so gently schooled by the three-year-old.