Candyland

Lee loves playing Candyland. She especially loves picking the "special cards," e.g the candy cane that sends you to the Peppermint Forest or the gumdrop that puts you in the Gumdrop Mountains. These cards can skyrocket you forwards, but can also send you back near the beginning when you are agonizingly close to reaching the Candy Castle.

The last six or so games we have played, I have picked nearly all of the special cards. I think Lee has had just two over all the games, and I have gotten the rest of them. I know that this is how Lady Luck works, but I really don't want to be on a special card streak when my daughter is heartbroken every time I pick one. She knows that she is expected to be a good sport and she does really well for a three-year-old, even saying "congratulations" when I pick yet another one. I feel for her because it is just so unfair, and eventually she does break down in tears.

Of course the irony of this is that out of those six games, Lee has reached the Candy Castle first (and thus won the game) five times. But to her winning is just not as thrilling as turning over her card and seeing a pretty picture of candy. I explain to her several times that you don't really want to pick a special card that's going to send you backwards, but she's not buying it. And towards the end of the last game I find myself saying, "Lee, what's really important is who wins. It's not about the special cards along the way."

No wait, isn't that backwards? Maybe she has the right idea after all.