Dear Mom Alice the Camel cheats at Sorry,

Dear Mom Alice the Camel cheats at Sorry,

Claire enjoys playing games. Can you really blame her? I still have faint memories of you sitting down with me when I was very small and playing games with me. You used to tell a story of how we were playing Candy Land one time when I suddenly stopped cold as I proclaimed: “HEY, wait a minute, this game is all luck!” As you tell the story I refused to ever play it again and the next day demanded you teach me how to play chess. Claire still enjoys Candy Land and I still do not so we often branch out into other games that require a little more decision making. Sorry is one of her favorites.
Sometimes when we play games her little friends play too. Alice the Camel is an avid game player and often sits in when the need arises for a third player. When the game is all luck as in Candy Land things go well, I can even remember a game Alice one. Claire was a little wary as Alice took her turn so close to the end of the map but I started cheering for Alice. “Go Alice, you can do it, you just need a double space, come on Alice!” Claire soon joined in and we were both rooting for Alice. By the time Claire drew Alice’s card, (it may be the entire point of a third person is to give Claire more play time,) the air was tense with anticipation. When Alice dropped her piece at the finish we jumped up and down and shouted, “Alright Alice! Great job! Way to go!” It was a lot of fun. We talked about it for days.
“Daddy, remember when Alice won the Candy Land game?”
“I sure do sweetie, that was pretty cool wasn’t it?”
Turns out Alice the Camel also likes to play Sorry. I did not realize when we started that Alice was actually in collusion with my daughter to bring down her Daddy. Play started just great, everyone was having a great time. Then I noticed on Alice’s turn she seemed to always land on my pieces and never Claire’s. Claire was very sympathetic to my plight. “Oh no Daddy, Alice is landing on you again!” As Claire moved Alice’s piece on top of my own and sent my piece back to Home I could not keep from raising my eyebrow just a little bit. “Don’t worry Daddy, you can come back. You still have a piece over there.”
The next turn she was again sympathetic to my cause, “Look Daddy I am landing on Alice the camel!” I also noted there was no place for her to land on me that turn. “That’ll teach Alice to land on my Daddy.” She gleefully sent Alice’s piece back to her Home. “Now don’t land on my Daddy, anymore Alice.” She scolded Alice as if she were not in on the scam.
Over a matter of turns the two of them systematically shut me down. Soon Claire won and we all jumped up and down and told her what a great job she did. I suppose the whole situation is not much different than me throwing a game or just giving me a large handicap whenever I play with kindergarteners but it still did not feel right. I think it is important she win most of her games but it is also important she lose now and then. My normal formula is 1 to 3 or 1 to 4 loss to win ratio. It is also important the first game be a win if I expect repeat play. Claire has developed what I believe is pretty good sportsmanship through the practice and keeps wanting to play more. So, it works but the entire idea of her scheming with Alice to win the game is a little bothersome. Alice keeps quite on the subject but I think she knows I know. I will have to keep my eye on her.

Love Mike