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Five with Fry
Think of this podcast as your go-to for tackling the hard stuff with clarity and confidence. On Five with Fry, Dr. Jen Fry breaks down the rules, challenges the norms, and dives deep into the tough conversations that shape our lives—conflict, culture, family, sports, tech, and everything in between. This is where you learn to rely on yourself, embrace the messy, and come out stronger on the other side.
Five with Fry
20: No Mercy at the Game Table: Life Lessons From an Uncomfortably Competitive Person
Think board games are just innocent fun? Not so fast.
In this raw and hilarious episode of Five with Fry, I’m diving into the very real emotional chaos of tabletop games, starting with the time 10-year-old me absolutely lost it during a game of Monopoly with my mom. (There were tears, screams, and the entire board ended up on the brown carpet.)
Board games aren’t just about passing the time. They reveal us. I share why I believe you should never let kids win (yes, that includes a ruthless Uno Draw Four), and how games like these teach crucial life lessons about fairness, conflict, and competition.
You'll hear the story of a friend accusing me of cheating, what it's like to be "uncomfortably competitive," and why I've basically banned board games from my life altogether, for everyone’s safety.
Whether you're a sore loser, a gracious winner, or someone who flips the board when things go south, this one will hit home.
Ready to unpack your own board-game behavior? Tune in, share your stories, and let’s talk about the unexpected ways games show us who we really are.
Follow me @JenFryTalks on IG, TikTok, and Twitter, or find me on LinkedIn at Dr. Jen Fry.
Friends, welcome to Five with Fry, where five is the magic number, whether it's five minutes, five questions or anything that fits in five. I dive into the big topics that matter, sometimes alone and other times with a friend. From navigating sports conflict to family dynamics, travel, tech, hard-hitting issues and even politics Nothing and I mean nothing's off the table. This is where curiosity meets conversation, and we always sit at an intersection. I'm your host. Dr Jen Fry of Jen Fry Talks. Let's get into it. Welcome to the newest episode of Five with Fry. And today we're going to talk about real conflict. Real painful, gut-wrenching conflict that sticks with you for days, weeks or even years. That you remember all of a sudden when you're back at home with your friends and family. And what conflict is that? And what conflict is that? Board games yeah, I said it, board games. Board games are something that you will always talk about. You remember when you got mad, you remember when someone lied or cheated. You remember everything about it. Board games that is where people really learn who they are. They learn about conflict. They learn about if you're willing to put it on the line, if you're willing to fight for it.
Dr. Jen Fry:And you know, I tell people I am uncomfortably competitive. I'm a person that really doesn't like to do things, especially when it's competitive, because I know I more than likely will lose my shit and completely crash out. Like I know that about me. I remember years ago, decades ago I was probably like 10 or so my mom was playing me Monopoly and she was winning. I mean, hopefully you're going to beat a 10 year old and I remember crashing out so badly. I remember crying, screaming, and I think at even one point I wiped the board off the table, screaming how could you beat your own daughter? Oh, and literally it's been what 35 years and I still remember everything. I remember wiping everything onto the brown carpet. I remember just being so mad. And that's the thing about it is that board games will never bring out the best in you. It will always bring out the worst in you, which is why I fully believe that you need to play adults like kids, or kids like adults, excuse me. You need to play kids like adults. You don't give them the opportunity to win. You don't actually not see how much money they owe you. You don't forget to charge them when they go across your place in Monopoly. No, you don't do any of that With board games, it's about teaching.
Dr. Jen Fry:It's about learning that life is not fair, and neither am I in board games. Uno, same thing, baby, the way you'll get this draw for, with no questions. I don't care about your age, I don't care about near one demographic. Pick up those cards. You know, I remember years ago I was playing with a group of friends and I'm not going to. This is not about me admitting anything that maybe I leaned back to see some cards. It's neither here nor there. Like the details don't matter, but what matters is one of the friends got so mad at me and was like have you no integrity? I thought you had integrity and made me move until we could restart the game. That's what board games are about. That is what you teach.
Dr. Jen Fry:Do not let people win in board games. No, no, no, no. I don't care your age, I don't care your creed, your religious affiliation, I don't care if you have awards, if you're a hall of famer. When we get to that table, all bets are off, and be prepared to see some types of competitiveness that you maybe wish you never saw again, and this is why I do not play board games. So don't ask me to play Monopoly. Definitely. Don't ask me to play nothing else, because I'm coming for you and it's gonna make for an awkward ride home or awkward night in the house when we all have to go to sleep because you're going to get all this smoke.
Dr. Jen Fry:Well, friends, that's it for this episode of Five with Fry your dose of five insights, ideas and inspiration. If you love what you heard, don't forget to head over to where podcasts are played to subscribe, share and leave a review. Got a topic you want us to tackle? Drop us a message. We'd love to hear from you. You can come follow me on IG, twitter, the TikTok at Jen Fry Talks, or join me on LinkedIn. Look for me at Dr Jen Fry. Until next time, stay curious, stay bold and keep the conversation going. See you on the next Five with Fry.