My adorable little 5 year old redhead just learned to play tic-tac-toe. She got a $1 “Hello Kitty” white board fromTarget as a reward for good behavior and it has 3 tic-tac-toe game frames on it. It’s been about three days and I’m possibly going to saw the board in half and put it at the bottom of the outside garbage can in the dead of night. You guys. I’m serious.
Stages of losing my sanity by playing tic-tac-toe with Sydney:
Stage 1. Two days ago: So cute! So proud! She’s learned a fun, basic game that all kids should know. Of course I’ll play! I’m going to let her win. Oh wait, even when I try to let her win, she still doesn’t. “You can win up and down too?” She asks me. OK, so maybe she hasn’t totally learned how to play, even though this is our 34th game. I kinda need a break.
Stage 2. Yesterday: I’m done letting her win. It’s time for tough love and I’m going to cream her so maybe she’ll get tired and we can quit. “What’s diagonal?” she just asked me. Oh for the love. I’m winning every game. Why is she such a good loser? It doesn’t even seem to bother her! OHMYWORD, she won’t stop asking.
Stage 3. Today: I’m worried for my own mental health. And also? Hers a little bit. Who wants to play this game over and over and over and over? And over? I’m putting my X on the EXACT SAME SPOT every single time. We’re tied every game. Each of our turns we are doing the same moves ad nauseum. I’ve tried putting in something other than X or O just to mix things up, like J or S, but then she makes us start over again. Can’t….take….it…any….more….
Stage 4. Tomorrow morning: “Oh, man! Gosh. Where could it have gone? Hmmmm….that is SUCH a bummer, babe. How about we try something different, something…quiet? Like water paints?” If any of you tell her that tic-tac-toe can be played on any random piece of paper, I will HUNT YOU DOWN.
(I’m NOT EVEN KIDDING YOU, she just came up to me as I’m typing this and asked me to play again, even though I walked away from the 428th game to post this.)