Photo by Pavel Danilyuk
As a parent, it’s your job to ensure that your children challenge themselves. You want to ensure that they do the harder things in life so they can become the best people they are meant to be.
But, of course, trying to get them to commit to difficult games like Go, chess, or even pool is challenging. Even if you set everything up for them, they may be reluctant.
So, what can you do to make it more palatable for them?
Play Together
One option is to play together, especially if your kids are still quite young. Children love it when they get to spend time with their parents or can enjoy something with them (instead of being relegated to the playpen).
For example, you could set up a pool game, give your child a cue, and start them knocking balls into pockets. At first, they won’t get it right, but over time, their pool action and accuracy will improve. Plus, it will teach them lessons about physics and how objects react when struck from various angles.
Let Them Watch
Another clever parental tactic is to let the child watch. Allowing them to simply absorb what’s going on can be highly effective. Eventually, if you do it long enough, it will pique their interest.
For example, you could show gameplay videos or streaming services. You could also introduce them to instructional videos or teach them one step of the game at a time until they have a fuller picture.
When kids see what you do to deal with the challenging aspects of the game, they are better able to follow your lead. Even if it is hard, you can provide them with a model for pushing through.
Frame It As Fun
Photo by Raul Machado
You could also focus on framing these challenging games as fun. Don’t introduce them as educational or a form of “extra-curricular” activity. Instead, let their interest in them develop organically from your excitement and taking the lead.
Whatever you do, don’t force the situation. If your child doesn’t seem interested, don’t put pressure on them to play these games, as this makes it less likely that they will take them up long-term. Kids who feel like they have to go to chess club every week are more prone to making excuses for non-attendance.
Break It Into Bite-sized Chunks
At the same time, you also want to break down hard games into bite-sized chunks (instead of introducing them to all the rules at once. Start with the easiest levels or moves and work up from there. You want the difficulty to be optimal: hard enough that it’s a challenge but not so difficult that your child can’t adapt.
Tell A Story
Finally, you could try telling a story around the games you want your kids to play. Adding a narrative can make them more engaging.
Just think about the success the marketing industry has had with this approach. Creating these plots can make games more interesting and encourage children to take them up.
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