I'm not sorry!

“One… Two… Three.  Sorry!”

“You’re not sorry!!

“I know!!!”

This is how the board game Sorry often goes.  It is an awful game, and it should not be played by little children.  It teaches them how to be brutally mean, instead of showing them how to be a good sport.  In this game, the goal is to move all your players from start to home.  This sounds innocent enough, but the execution is not quite so easy.  To move, you must draw cards, which give directions.  To even get out of start you must draw a one, two, or Sorry! Card.  After you finally get out (this often takes great lengths of time.  Since everyone does not get out at the same time, some players often get very ahead of the other ones.  This causes discouragement, even before you get out of start), you have to move all the way around the board to get to home.

Here are some instances of Sorry! being an unkind game.  These come from an experience I had last night with a girl I was babysitting.  They have really influenced me, and made me swear never to buy Sorry! for my own children.

First of all, I had decided not to completely beat this girl.  I would give her a chance to win, and I figured it would be a fun competitive game.  Right away, she got three players out of start, while I was still waiting to get any out.  I finally draw a Sorry! card.  I hate these, because they force you, no matter what, to be cruel.  You have to send a player back to their start, while you get to take their spot.  I decided that I was going to choose the one that was farthest back, so that it would hurt her the least.  If I chose the one most beneficial to me, I would’ve easily gotten someone to home quickly.  Well, I do this, and we continue to play.  After a few turns, she got a Sorry! card.  I had gotten two other people out, and we were both doing pretty well.  Instead of being kind, though, she bumped my best player back to start.  Then, to my shocked face, she said, “It’s only fair.”  This made me very angry.  It wasn’t fair!  I was being very kind to her, and she came back and pounded me.  I had to bite my tongue and continue to play.

The next reason I hate Sorry! came later.  The game was drawing to a conclusion.  I had decided not to use my turn to send her back to start.  Right after I decided to do her this favor, she got a 7 card.  While using this card, you’re allowed to split your moves between two pawns.  This little girl split her turn and bumped two of my pawns back to start.  

Finally, I couldn’t take it any more.  This game was annoying me so much that I had felt like I had to fight back.  This isn’t the spirit you want to be in while playing a board game, especially with a seven year old you’re babysitting.  Board games should be fun and entertaining, not cause anger and hatred towards your fellow players.  This is why this game should only be played with the greatest discretion.  Little children should not play it because it does not teach them good things.  So, be careful while playing the game Sorry!, because when you bump some one back, you’re lying.  You really aren’t “sorry.”