Smallsteps will be back at school tomorrow, after having a couple days of ill. She wasn't that ill really, just a light fever, but that is the way it goes here. When I was a kid, I had to be vomiting to stay home from school, or fake it well. I remember noting that as a kid when I faked being ill, I would end up feeling sick anyway. Still, it was better for me to be home than to be at school, since I didn't have a great time of it as a kid. High school was far better, and I would choose which days I skipped, based on which classes I had with which girls. the boring days, I could stay home.
I wonder why I didn't do better at school....
I actually did okay.
But it was nice to have Smallsteps home today, as we played a bit with her toy animals that we were running a business building an app. Each toy had their position, with Pos Pos the Pig (because he is so positive) as marketing, and Slothy as helpdesk support, much to the chagrin of our userbase. We also had a coder and a project designer, With Smallsteps being HR, trying to wrangle them all to do their jobs. We had an open position for a trainer, so Smallsteps held interviews with three prospective candidates and I played each of the roles.
One of the three was hireable.
The other two were a total mess.
It reminded me of a time back in 2020 where the team I was in had an open position for a product trainer, and a candidate sent in an application written in third person. I really wanted to interview them to see if they would maintain the character, but my boss had already rejected them. Such a shame. I quite like interviewing people for positions, but what I notice is that a lot of people don't pick up on the bullshit people talk. This is especially the case when Finns are interviewing Americans who have had practice in interview processes, as Finns take them at face value.
After we played, Smallsteps and I had a quick discussion about how an office is full of different personalities that you'd have to learn how to get along and communicate with in order to get the job done. I asked which ones she would find the easiest to work with and for her unsurprisingly, it was the coder and the project designer, as they were calm and structured. The project designer (Maximus due to the size of his head) was highly intelligent and intentional, and the coder just put his Panda head down and did his work.
I don't know if any of these games will really influence her into the future, but I have noticed that she is starting to have more of her own personality now, and experimenting with different ways of being and expressing herself. Yesterday she was home and I barely saw her, as she was just doing her own things most of the day. But today, she really wanted to have time together, so I made sure to be present and immerse myself into that moment. It is valuable for me too, of course.
This evening, I decided to do something a bit different for her evening snack and grill some sausages on the fireplace, with a large toasted marshmallow each for dessert. It was a nice way to end the day for Smallsteps I think, though the day continued for my wife as she had to get back to work and finish tasks because one of her people hadn't done their tasks on time. The life of a new supervisor. Perhaps my wife needs to sit down and be part of our games to learn how to handle those kinds of people.
Ah, and Puusti the puppy is doing well as far as puppying goes, but is also quite an annoying rascal that bites and tears at everything he knowingly shouldn't. When he is calm though, he is a pretty cute little thing, but those times are few and far between. Once he gets a bit of energy in him, he is like the Tasmanian Devil on speed.
Maybe he will grow out of it?
Taraz
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If it's any consolation I didn't do amazing at school either and I had an amazing attendance record.
I had friends and if I got bullied I was too dumb to notice and I still hated it
The game you played with Smallsteps reminded me of reading a blog post in which someone played a similar game with their daughter except she was a princess running a fantasy kingdom trying to solve diplomatic tensions between some of the rival nations (as played by the parent, things like the teddy country wasn't getting on with the Lego country or something like that) as well as some of the "countries" not having enough resources and thinking I wish I'd thought to do stuff like that with my kids XD Or particularly Middle who was usually the only one inclined to have regular tea parties.
I think the boys (particularly eldest) did a lot of that stuff when they were "walking around talking" with their friends (it used to frustrate the other parents that the boys were "just walking around talking" or "planning what to play without actually playing" but I don't think they actually listened to what the boys were doing which was roleplaying and there were some real epics going on).
They do help mostly with the critical thinking abilities (especially on the fly) and it's practising interpersonal relationships/negotiations/etc.
Sounds like a puppy XD He's just being a teenager. They do grow out of it eventually, our dog was 3 when she finally stopped "fetching" the newly planted fruit trees and "helping" with the planting (by digging everything back up again). She's 4 soon and gotten very good at herding chickens XD (she does actually herd them)
:D Lots of cute boys?
That game sounds great. I might do a version of it like Survivor, where Smallsteps will have to live in a post-apocalyptic world, scavenging and killing for food. It is probably closer to her future reality :D
This is what I am hoping. She was at least patient with the dog in the interview, who thought he was going to get paid to be helped on how to use the app.
This deserves a video!
Honestly couldn't tell you if they were cute or not XD
Play Minecraft with her XD Or go camping either way :D
The stupid chickens that required the herding don't seem to be coming out anymore so I think it finally sank into their minute little chicken brains to not jump the fence.
Is it possible the dog is bored that he keeps chewing on things? Then again, it could just be that puppy stage still. Sounds like you had a really fulfilling day. I am horrible at interviewing. I have a feeling I will be even worse if I have to do it for my second career.
It’s probably a mix of boredom and just being deep in the puppy stage. He has endless energy and very little self-control right now, so everything becomes fair game.
Puppy mostly, but boredom could be part of it. The challenge with the weather at the moment is that he can only go out for a couple minutes at a time before he gets too cold. We can't take him for longer walks at all.
You might be great at it, because you will see things others miss.
That could be with the whole interview thing. I hope you are right. It does suck with the weather and not being able to take the dog out. They do make treat puzzles that supposedly make the dog have to work for it and maybe wear them out a bit.
https://www.chewy.com/nina-ottosson-by-outward-hound-treat/dp/175431?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=organic&utm_content=Nina%20Ottosson%20by%20Outward%20Hound
We had a different style for our dog, she was pretty smart and could usually get the treats right away, so I am not sure how effective it was.
faking being ill, i remember doing that as a kid, oh my gosh!🤣. It used to always work and the next day id be back to normal like magic, until the day it didnt, i just couldnt get myself to vomit and my mum followed me to the bathroom. I faked being ill that day because the barber mistakenly cut all my hair and so i was bald, i wanted to feign sickness for the whole week but i was busted on the first day.😅 I laugh now but it wasnt funny then!
Lol. Did you ever go back to the same barber?
Noooo
Never!!
The ladies look happy to stay home in that picture 😀
So Americans are better at BSing their way through the interview process?
300% better! Finns are also pretty honest and trustworthy - not very good liars. So they don't spot it well. Americans always seem like they are always prepared to be on the news for their fifteen minutes of fame. Even the kids.
You have to remember who settled America, basically a bunch of gangsters and scamsters 😀
The things I would do to ditch school. I would fake being sick. Hide out at friends houses. You name it. I was destined for the military :-)
Glad she is better and not sick or feeling ill. Just found out i have COVID. So life is sucking right now. Could be worse though. Could have ass cancer or something.
Puppies are great, but they are holy terrors.
Harder to skip there...
Hope you feel better soon and it is a mild illness for you. The flu is never pleasant though.
oh, I do hope it is like the flu. However, I already have respiratory problems without COVID. So hoping I don't end up in the hospital.
This is such a necessary reflection, my friend @tarazkp. It reminded me a lot of the idea that in ecosystems like Hive (and in life), there is a very clear dividing line between those who sit in the stands criticising the game and those who take to the field and give it their all.
'Being the player' means accepting the vulnerability of making mistakes and facing uncertainty, but it is the only way to have real agency over the results. I particularly like the approach that the player not only seeks the final reward, but also values the learning process and resilience that can only be acquired by being at the centre of the action.
In the end, spectators watch time pass, but it is the players who truly transform it into something valuable.
I love the photograph where the loves of your life meet. A candid hug and many blessings.
And if it all goes wrong, can take responsibility, rather than being a victim of circumstance. I think that makes a better life anyway.
Were you ever caught faking it(the illness i mean)?
At first I thought you were asking if my wife caught me faking.... ;D
I think my mum knew I wasn't ill, but didn't care much. Even when home sick, I was mostly by myself.
Lol!!!
I think this fun times can set the stage for her future relationships in the workplace ;)
Perhaps she will see her colleagues as toy animals.
I wouldn't be surprised if your daughter does great things as she gets older. That's impressive she created such a complex role play game. Most kids don't imagine a "coder," much less someone in HR.
It's amazing what kids come up with. 😁
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Well, I had to give her the coder, but her mum is in HR :D
How I loved skipping school in high school! But one day I got caught. I was playing cards with friends for money at a friend's apartment, and we were drinking wine. When my mom came in, there was a pile of bills on the floor, and it was noisy. I stood up silently, and everyone knew my game was over :)
:D This I can imagine.
Wow this is interesting I love how you turn playtime into little life lessons without making it feel like teaching. Do you notice some Small steps bringing any of those office personalities or problem solving ideas back into real life situations later?
Yeah, she does at times, but it is hard to know if it is from the games or just her growing up. Doesn't really matter though, as the games might help reinforce some of it through practice.
This is such a lovely snapshot of how work actually works personalities first, job titles second. Funny how even in play, the calm, structured people feel safest to collaborate with. I’ve seen the same thing in real offices: the quiet coder and the thoughtful planner often carry the whole team while louder voices sell confidence. Also, interviewing really is a skill some people perform, others reveal, and telling the difference takes time.
Yet, the loudest get promoted.
Office is just a collection of different personalities trying to speak the same language.
Or fighting to have their own language heard. Depends on the office. :)
Ending the day with sausages and marshmallows by the fire served as a fitting conclusion simple, grounding, and meaningful. These are the kinds of moments that often leave a lasting impression, even if their significance isn’t fully recognized at the time. I love it
It doesn't take much to have a meaningful moment - just a little presence.
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When I was a student, I never faked my illness. Actually, even if I was sick, I attended my classes. 😂 I dunno, but I guess it was because of pressure being an achiever in class. Also, maybe I was thinking, if ever I had absences, I might face academic challenges.