What I Learned from Parenting Books
In this article, I dial the geek way down and dial the serious way up, to discuss two books on parenting by Australian authors, both of which changed my perspective on my role and responsibilities as a father.
Meng
Board Game Fanatic, and Father of Two, Meng is an Australian who became hooked on board games at high school, with such classics as Talisman and Diplomacy. Years later, he rekindled his interest while living in the United States, both immersing himself in the local gaming scene and also taking advantage of mail-order to expand his collection to some 300 items. After returning to Australia in 2008, and with little time left after work, study and travel, the majority of his gaming nowadays is with his two young children. Hoping one day in the distant future to teach them to play a rollicking game of Die Macher, in the meantime he provides more age-appropriate fare and tries to discuss some life lessons along the way.
Meng goes by the handle meng on Board Game Geek.
iPad – a Toy for Adults or Children?
Do not read on if you are expecting a comprehensive, original or unbiased perspective on the iPad; there is no shortage of iPad reviews to be found elsewhere, even on the narrower issues of its worth as a board gaming platform and its suitability for young children. Mine is a highly personal perspective, your mileage may vary.
Gulo Gulo Game Review
This is a dexterity game with a distinct advantage for young children: small fingers are a definite plus! Each player attempts to move his colored plastic piece (a figure that resembles a polar bear more than a wolverine) forward by extracting from its nest a wooden egg of a specific color.
Chicken Cha Cha Cha Game Review
Chicken Cha Cha Cha is a memory game in which wooden chickens (one per player), bearing tail-feathers (initially one per chicken), move around a circular path (comprised of 24 spaces, each bearing one of 12 images). In order to move one space forward, a player must select from another 12 face-down tiles, choosing the one whose image matches the space they wish to move into.
Enuk (the Eskimo) Game Review
I first saw this game at the Australian Games Expo in Canberra in January 2010, and purchased it on the advice of a demonstrator at the Rio Grande Games booth. (I feel obliged to buy at least one children's game whenever I attend a gaming convention.) Several months later, we continue to play this regularly: a push-your-luck filler game in which it helps to have a good memory!
Games as a Vehicle for Positive Parenting
We all want our children to be healthy, intelligent, well-behaved and, above all, happy. Of course, tabletop gaming is neither necessary nor sufficient to achieve these goals, but I consider it a worthwhile supplement to sports, music, crafts and reading.