With Thanksgiving just days away, many of us will soon be gathering with family and larger groups of loved ones. While these moments are filled with joy, they can also bring a mix of personalities and perspectives, especially for the children, who must navigate their own ideas about what to play and who gets to lead. Finding harmony together becomes part of the beauty of the holiday.
I hope you enjoy this short story, and may your Thanksgiving be peaceful, joyful, and blessed.
Every Thursday, the Rodriguez family held game night, but lately it had become a battle. Eleven-year-old Carlos loved strategy games like chess and Risk, while his 9-year-old sister Luna preferred quick, silly games like Uno and charades. Their parents were tired of the weekly arguments that made game night stressful instead of fun.
“We’re playing Risk tonight,” Carlos declared, setting up the board. “That’s boring!” Luna protested. “Let’s play charades!” Their mom sighed. “Figure it out, kids, or no game night at all.” Carlos realized they needed a real solution, losing game night entirely would make everyone unhappy.
“Luna, what do you like most about charades?” Carlos asked, genuinely curious. “It’s fast, everyone laughs, and I’m good at acting,” she replied. Carlos thought carefully. “And you probably think Risk is too long and complicated?” Luna nodded. “What if we modified Risk to be shorter and added acting elements? Like, when you attack a country, you have to act out what type of army you’re sending?”
Luna giggled at the idea. “So if I send cavalry, I’d pretend to ride a horse?” Carlos grinned. “Exactly! And we’ll play with a timer, each turn gets only two minutes, so the whole game lasts 45 minutes instead of three hours.” Their parents were amazed when the kids presented their “Speed Risk Theater” hybrid game, which became the family’s new favorite.
The most innovative negotiations happen when people truly understand what others value:
Ask Deeper Questions: Carlos discovered Luna valued speed, laughter, and using her acting skills
Identify Underlying Needs: It wasn’t really about the specific game, but the experience each wanted
Innovate Solutions: They created something entirely new that satisfied both sets of needs
Test and Adapt: They were willing to modify their idea based on what worked
Activity: Have your child think about a recent disagreement she/he had with someone (sibling, friend, etc.). Practice asking “what do you really want from this situation?” instead of focusing on the specific thing being argued about. Then brainstorm creative solutions that give everyone their underlying needs, even if it’s not what they originally asked for.
Written and developed by my husband, Marty, with his helpful AI assistant.
If you know families who will enjoy sharing these stories with their children, please pass it on! With love, health, and knowledge, may you live abundantly. See you again in the next post!
Happy Thanksgiving,
I love to share what works for me and my family. May you too find what best serves you and yours. Here’s some great gift ideas for the holidays, and truly anytime. ☺️
KIDS - Our daughter is having a blast with Pix Brix, plus they are compatible with Lego! Enjoy gifting Pix Brix, an open ended STEM/STEAM certified building toy that fosters play, creativity, and imagination. Pix Brix are a multi-award winning pixel puzzle brick that utilizes a unique patented connection system. This simple 1 piece slide + stack system allows the user to create 2D pixel art and 3D builds by connecting vertically, horizontally, and even diagonally.
PARENTS - PhotoStick is super helpful and saves time! It’s a revolutionary device that automatically finds, sorts, and saves up to 60,000 photos and videos across ANY of your devices with just ONE click.
GRANDPARENTS - My mum loves hers! Audien Atom 2 is a step forward in the realm of hearing aid technology and so affordable!
SHAMELESS PLUG - For the fashion focused shopper who likes great condition thrifted clothes - check out my online closet.
Happy Holiday Shopping!
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