What ever happened to good old fashioned board games, like Monopoly ™ and The Game of Life ™. You know these two ,because the whole family sat around a table and actually had to speak to each other and get along?

The games had a simple premise; start some where, go around the board on a mission, and hopefully end up home safe and sound. They actually taught social skills and good sportsmanship. These skills seem to be seriously lacking today. We sit in front of a screen, sometimes all day, because of our professions and sometimes due to our obsessions.

We are usually alone, in front of this screen and I think it has seriously disabled us, as humans. We do need some balance.

The television screen was the first screen most of us became fixated with. It was a magic box, filled with movement and sounds. I remember when my father brought home a color television. The large round screen was inside of a piece of furniture and each one of us kids would take turns manually turning the big knobs to change the channels and adjust the volume. Even though, it had about ten channels, it meant the world to us. And when color was introduced, I remember being in awe! But we used to watch television, together, at least. Now we have televisions in every room, along with our personal computer. or p.c.’s as they’ve come to be known.

It’s not easy tearing people away from their gadgets.People love their cell phones, personal games, computers, Bluetooth’s, and IPods.These devices may that keep us connected on some level, but not together..

Let The Games Begin 

So, getting back to board games, I have a few favorites that I still play, on occasion today. My favorite board games are Monopoly ™, Sorry ™, The Game of Life ™, Parcheesi ™ Clue ™, and Scrabble ™ .

Each one is unique, with its’ own little player pieces, rules to play by, rewards and penalties, and board graphics. Monopoly ™ object of the game is for one player to become the wealthiest by buying up as much property as possible, the players must be able to keep as much cash, property in the form of homes, hotels, utility companies and railroads. If you land on another players’ property, you must pay “rent” .If you land enough times, on other properties you could go broke and bankrupt. But if you have the most money and properties when everyone is bankrupted by you, then you win! A little tyrannical!

Whenever my brothers and I played, one brother would always cheat by stashing money in the bathroom and take breaks to retrieve his “loot”.

I think he did this before the game began. The others and I would always wonder how he would win every game. He was found out only a few years ago!

My second most favorite board game is the Game of Life ™.It seems a little more realistic than and not as lofty as Monopoly ™. I think this game appeals to me now because it has real life scenarios, such as deciding to go to college or get a job. You spin the big spinner (I love that) and jump on the amount of spaces to pick up a spouse along the way, have children, buy a home, get insurance, make investments and try to make it to retirement without going broke. It really applies to today’s life, doesn’t it? This game in particular will teach your children a lot.

The other favorite board games in order are Clue ™, Scrabble ™, Parcheesi ™ , and Sorry ™. Each one is ranked from how complicated the rules and objectives are. I’ll bet you have played at least one of these games as a kid and maybe today, in electronic form.

Family Time 

It’s my feeling that we should try to re connect as a family, at least once a week, to play a board game. A game night, with no interruptions from cell phone ringing, or texting, no computer games, no X-box, or Bluetooth, or even the dreaded, boob-tube.

Families need to be a family, sit together at the dinner table ,and actually talk to each other. We need to slow down the hurried, activity-packed days and figure out what is important. I feel social skills enrichment is far more important than gaining a lot of material things. Hasn’t the economic crash and recent Wall Street crisis taught us anything about out cultures’ priorities?

Maybe now that most families don’t have a lot of extra spending cash, they will try to go back to basics and learn to enjoy the enjoy the simple pleasures of life again.

Try playing a simple board game like Monopoly ™ or the Game of Life ™ and enjoy each others’ company.