Why Playing Monopoly With a Five-yr-old Is Not So Fun

1) They get kind of grumpy when you get money from the bank and they don't.

2) They throw a tantrum because nobody is landing on their property.

3) They REALLY don't like the: "Go directly to jail. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200," card.

I wonder if my family's obsession with property (mainly in the talking department) is directly linked to having had a TV deprived childhood and therefore spending inordinate amounts of time playing monopoly. There was really just one rule: my older brother had to win. It didn't matter if it took three hours or fifteen. On those rare occasions, when my little brother or I were winning, he would end up beating us in the end by using extreme tactics like exhaustion or dehydration. (Think episode of Man Vs. Wild.) "So you want to go to sleep? Sure, we've been playing since breakfast and it is now midnight...but only if you admit defeat." Who knew that playing Monopoly with my five year old would remind me of those joyous occasions with my older brother? Moral of this story: she grows up to be an investment banker like him. Or someone who doesn't like to lose. Did I really need to use the 'or.' Your call.