How to Game Play with Your Child the Right Way!

Game playing is such a great and innocent way to help your child practice the skills they need to work on!

However, there are some very important points you need to implement in order for it to really work.

All children, and adults as well, only want to do things that we are good at. If we feel successful when completing a task, we will want to do it again and again. When we take out a game to work on a skill that our child is weak in, they most probably will turn up their nose and prefer to do wash your dishes instead! So here are some ideas of making game playing be positive and successful.

1.  Ideally, all games should initially be played by the child with a parent, so the adult can tailor the game playing to the child’s level and make him/her feel successful at the game. When your child knows the rules and has mastered some skills of the game, then he can move onto playing with other children.

2. Familiarize yourself with the game before you present it to your child.

3. The first few rounds, game, questions, etc., (whatever it is that you are using in the game) must be ones that your child knows how to do. For example, if the game is asking them to complete a math equation, then you need to make sure it is something that he/she already knows how to do. As the saying goes, success breeds success. By starting the first time with an easy level, he can hit success!

4.  If it is a skill that your child needs to work on but does not yet know how to complete, then you need to figure out how you can break down the skill to easy to master steps. For example, you will give him hints to make the questions easier.

5. If there is a time component to this game, eliminate it. For example, if the game is structured that there is a competition, and whoever gets it first wins, then you need to make the game all about turns, so your child has the time s/he needs to answer the question.

6. Please make sure to lose! We all want to be winners, so you need to become an awesome actress and pretend to also have difficulty by some of your turns and very SMARTLY, try to lose.

7. No game playing should ever feel to the child like she/he is being tested or put on the spot. Make it as pleasant and easy as can be.

8. The MOST important rule: Many people can be your child’s therapist and teacher, but only one person in the world can be his mother. Never ruin your relationship for the sake of teaching your child a skill. Rather keep all interactions as calm and positive as possible.