Have you ever thought how a simple game of Battleship can benefit a child who has been exposed to abuse?
Battleship is a particular favorite of Mark, one of our child mentors. If you’re not familiar with this game, each player hides five plastic ships on a grid representing the ocean, and the other tries to “sink” them by guessing which squares they cover. The game requires attention, honesty and patience – sometimes it seems like you’ll never find the other guy’s ships!
It may be hard to imagine how Battleship or checkers or Chutes and Ladders could do much for a child who has seen one parent harm another or who has been injured physically or emotionally themselves.
At first, some kids have trouble relaxing long enough to play a game because they haven’t had much experience feeling safe. Some don’t deal well with losing and will act out. But it doesn’t take long before they realize there’s nothing threatening in the situation and their mentors really care for them.
By playing games with adults, kids gain many of the 40 development assets they need to thrive. Battleship, for example, contributes to at least half a dozen of the assets identified for ages 5 to 9, including:
- Adult Role Models – showing what model positive, responsible behavior looks like.
- Other Adult Relationships – getting support from adults other than their parent(s).
- Equality and Social Justice – learning about rules and being fair to everyone.
- Integrity – developing a sense of right and wrong behavior.
- Honesty – recognizing and telling the truth.
- Peaceful Conflict Resolution – resolving disappointment and conflicts without hitting, throwing a tantrum or using hurtful language.
The more assets we can help them develop, the less likely they will be to engage in risky behaviors like violence, sexual promiscuity and alcohol and drug use. To learn more about our donor-funded prevention program and the 40 developmental assets you can help us build in children, visit https://shelteringwings.org/40-developmental-assets/.
Thanks to our donors and volunteers, the youngsters here have games to play – and caring adults to play with them. But there is so much more as our activities coordinator creates birthday parties, bonfire outings, and both loud and quiet activities that match a myriad of needs and tastes.
On behalf of every child Mark has played Battleship with, on behalf of the next child who needs to play, we thank you for your support.
