Do you know (or remember) the board game Chutes and Ladders? It starts out with a square on the lower left hand corner of the board numbered "1" and zig zags up the board to the end of the game.
So, for part of the game you are heading right and the other part you are heading left. You need to know which way to go. Then to add a twist, you land on spots that you climb a ladder to a higher level or you slide down a chute to a lower level. At the top of the ladder or the bottom of the chute, you need to know which way to go on your next turn.
Simple enough you would think for any 14 year old.
We were in between psychiatrist and therapist appointments the other day when difficult child found the Chutes and Ladders game in the waiting room. He set it up and proceeded to play it alone moving either his piece or mine on our given turns. He kept getting so messed up on which way to move the pieces. I told him to take a few seconds to look at the numbered square he was on and determine which way he was suppose to move (left or right) before doing so.
At first is was a bit humorous but as he was unable to move the pieces correctly over and over again, I started to wonder what this meant for his organizational skills and following a process.
Have any of you experienced this in your difficult child's. I have a Candy Land and a Chutes and Ladder game that I purchased for one of our friend's little girl. I am thinking about keeping the Chutes and Ladder game for difficult child to play with.
I always said board games and card games teach a person a lot. I guess I never really thought about the details of what Chutes and Ladders teach until I watched someone who was struggling with it.
So, for part of the game you are heading right and the other part you are heading left. You need to know which way to go. Then to add a twist, you land on spots that you climb a ladder to a higher level or you slide down a chute to a lower level. At the top of the ladder or the bottom of the chute, you need to know which way to go on your next turn.
Simple enough you would think for any 14 year old.
We were in between psychiatrist and therapist appointments the other day when difficult child found the Chutes and Ladders game in the waiting room. He set it up and proceeded to play it alone moving either his piece or mine on our given turns. He kept getting so messed up on which way to move the pieces. I told him to take a few seconds to look at the numbered square he was on and determine which way he was suppose to move (left or right) before doing so.
At first is was a bit humorous but as he was unable to move the pieces correctly over and over again, I started to wonder what this meant for his organizational skills and following a process.
Have any of you experienced this in your difficult child's. I have a Candy Land and a Chutes and Ladder game that I purchased for one of our friend's little girl. I am thinking about keeping the Chutes and Ladder game for difficult child to play with.
I always said board games and card games teach a person a lot. I guess I never really thought about the details of what Chutes and Ladders teach until I watched someone who was struggling with it.