Remember how I told you that we love playing card games around here…especially in the summer time?
Well…you know when you play a game with your kids…someone’s gonna lose. It’s how a game works. There are winners and there are losers.
(And I’m SO NOT gonna let my kids win just to save their sweet little hearts from being broken. I’m way too competitive much more interested in teaching them about real life.)
So, here’s what we’ve found that really works for us!
If you are the loser of the game…you get to stand up and do the “I Lost the Game Dance.” Bust out some moves. Break dance if you want. You’re the one who lost. You’re the one who’s earned the privilege of doing the loser dance. None of the rest of us winners get to do it. We have to just sit there on our boring little bottoms with our big pile of winning cards and watch you have fun doing your version of the “Loser Dance”.
I’m telling you…this system has been a perfect way to take away the sadness of losing a card or board game. Instead of being sad, as soon as a game ends, the loser hops right up and start “showing us what they’re made of”. Then we all have a nice round of giggles together before we re-shuffle and start another game.
(Don’t you dare even ask what it looks like when Mama is the loser. I don’t-got-much in the way of “moves”. Bless my heart.)
Oh yeah…and if we’re playing “Old Maid”…the one who ends up losing with the Old Maid card at the end has to do their Loser Dance in Granny Style. With an old maid look on their face …and a walking stick…and arthritis. It’s beautiful.
Alright, we’re getting ready to play Go Fish. I’d better go stretch out.
;)
Find more Works for me Wednesday ideas here.
Joy says
I’m SO gonna try this with my kids. It may just force them to be good losers when nothing else works!
Joy
http://fivejs.wordpress.com
Col @ gigablonde :: things to do in ny when you're [not\ dead says
Oh,this is precious, I absolutely adore this tip. Whenever I’m with children I always try to get them to understand that it’s not the winning that’s important and what you suggested here (and illustrated, is that John Travolta in the picture? ;) is PERFECT!!!
THANK YOU!!!
Donna says
Oh, what a cute idea! I’ll have to try this!!!!!! And by the way, I think we have a shirt just like that around here,lol!
Stretch Mark Mama says
Well, my son can’t dance, but he sure knows how to be a Sore Loser. So this is going to be great, thanks! Dancing practice, 18 thousand times a day. :)
Heather - Doodle Acres says
I am going to have to give this a try because we play lots of cards and we have some bad losers in these here parts!!!
Colleen says
That’s a great idea! Yup, it’ll probably be me dancing too. I’d better go practice my moves!
Jennifer R. says
LOVE this idea! We’ve had problems with our youngest being a sore loser in the past few days. You can bet we’re gonna try this!
Playful Professional says
I’m pretty sure that my husband and I would just be more competitive because we didn’t want to do this dance. Ha.
Jenny B (aka Mother Hen) says
We now have a new rule in our house. Thanks, it sounds super. And we have the shirt, too. Cannonball Jack has it on today!
i LOVE THIS LOSER POLICY!
Marigold says
This is such a great idea Laura, I love it! Great pictures, too!
Dawn says
What a great idea. I’ve got to use that with my 5-year-old son, who is the poorest loser I’ve ever met. Halfway through a game if it even appears that he might lose he starts having a fit. Maybe this will help.
Kerri says
Oh, this is such a good idea! Love it!
Julie says
I will use that for myself. I’m a sore loser!
Julie
toni says
I love this idea!!I`m gonna have to try it!
I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed your post about jars you did recently!!
I did my own post today about your post and how much it helped me get my cupboard more organized:)I wanted to share that with you.Have a blessed evening!!
Lauren says
Thanks for sharing this… we’ll start doing it when the girls get a bit older.
Julie C. says
In our family, the loser has to sing a silly song: “You’re the the winner and I’m the chicken dinner, I’m the LOOOOOSER!”. I think a silly dance would go perfectly with this, thanks!