There are times when it’s hard to inject an atmosphere of fun into the schoolwork routine. My temperament is such that I want to get to work and get it done, where my children prefer to do it the fun way. We clash, I’m afraid.
One day they kept begging me to play Monopoly with them when I was trying to get them to do school. I agreed, but on the condition that we make it part of school time. It turned out to be an excellent compromise.
In counting out the money, the children learned the value of the different denominations and how to create $14 by putting a $10 together with four $1, or how to use 2 $5 and 4 $1. This was a concept that even my five-year-old pieced together with ease, once he saw it practically applied.
In paying rent, the children were taught that nothing in life comes free, and that we have to pay for the things we use and need. They counted out their money, often with grumbling, but that’s when another lesson was learned – what goes around, comes around, and soon they’d be on the receiving end of the rent check.
By running out of money before passing “Go,” they learned the importance of not running out of money before pay day. In the game, you will sometimes land on Boardwalk at the whim of the dice, but in real life, you can plan your grocery shopping, your clothing budget, and know where your money is being spent. The unexpected car repairs somewhat simulate the “ouch!” of landing on a hotel, but in real life, things aren’t usually so topsy-turvy. We can plan our spending to coordinate with our paychecks.
The children learned the concept of what a monopoly is, how land development takes place, how to get mortgages but more importantly, how to pay off mortgages. Lessons in real life, delivered in a world of squares and colors, all while having fun. It’s a pretty good balance between my desire to get the work done and their desire to enjoy themselves.
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