From Monopoly® To Freedom: A Parent's Guide To Resourceful Problem-Solving
Drawing inspiration from history to navigate parenthood
ALEXANDRE DUMAS (1802-1870), The Count of Monte Cristo (1844) | How did I escape? With difficulty. How did I plan this moment? With pleasure.
Next week, I promise we’ll return to our C. S. Lewis series on The Screwtape Letters which contain timeless lessons for our children and offer parents a wonderful opportunity to engage their children in conversation and explore the deeper meaning of faith and spirituality.
Until then, I couldn’t resist sharing this story…and I promise this relates to parenting.
Monopoly® And World War II
In 1941, to counter the increasing number of British airmen who found themselves “involuntary guests” of the Third Reich, Parliament began searching for ways to aid their escape. Obviously, the best way to facilitate any escape is with an accurate map that identifies the locations of “safe houses” where fleeing POW’s could find food and shelter.
Of course, any map made from paper creates a few not inconsiderable liabilities…they make a great deal of noise when folded and unfolded, they wear out quickly, and they turn to mush when wet. But then…someone in MI-5 (similar to America’s OSS) had the brilliant idea of printing escape maps on silk…a durable fabric that can be easily compressed into tiny bundles and silently folded and unfolded as often as needed.
At that time, there was only one manufacturer in all of Great Britain that had perfected the technology of printing on silk…John Waddington, Ltd. When approached by the British government, the firm was only too happy to take on the project and do their part for the war effort.
By happy coincidence, Waddington was also the U.K. licensee for the popular American board game, Monopoly®. As it so happened, “games and pastimes” were a category of wartime items that qualified for inclusion into “CARE packages” distributed by the International Red Cross to prisoners of war.
Under the utmost secrecy, in a securely guarded workshop on the grounds of Waddington’s, a group of employees who had been sworn-to-silence began mass-producing escape maps keyed to the regions of Germany and Italy where Allied POW camps were located. When processed, these maps could be folded into such tiny pieces that they actually fit inside a Monopoly® playing token. Eventually, the clever workers at Waddington’s also managed to add:
A playing token that contained a small magnetic compass.
A two-part metal file that could easily assembled.
Genuine high-denomination German, Italian, and French currency, hidden within the stacks of Monopoly® money!
Prior to deployment, British and American air crews were advised how to identify one of these “rigged” Monopoly® sets…by means of a tiny red dot in the corner of the Free Parking square, cleverly placed to look like an ordinary printing glitch.
Historians estimate that of the 35,000+ Allied POWS who successfully escaped, at least one-third were aided by the rigged Monopoly® sets. Since the British government (quite understandably) thought this would be a highly useful tactic for any future wars, everyone involved in the project was sworn to indefinite secrecy,
Consequently, the story wasn’t de-classified until 2007, when the surviving craftsmen from Waddington’s, as well as the firm itself, were finally honored in a public ceremony.
Though certainly an interesting tidbit of history, this story seemingly has nothing to do with parenting…but if we look closer, there are actually three helpful reminders for parents.
Much like the British government’s project to aid escaping POWs, parents are continually seeking ways to support and guide their children through life’s obstacles. Though the solution need not be as innovative as printing escape maps on silk mirrors, parents need to be creative problem-solvers in order to navigate the challenges of raising children. We just need to keep in mind that we are raising a human being…not fixing a problem.
Just as the Monopoly® sets were ingeniously designed to aid the POW’s, parents often find themselves adapting ordinary tools or situations to meet their children’s needs, whether it’s turning a mundane task into a learning opportunity or creatively addressing a problem. It all boils down to loving our kids without exasperating them and living by example in front of them. Parenting IS simple…NOT easy.
Lastly, the secrecy surrounding the project reflects the parental willingness to make sacrifices and work behind the scenes for the well-being of the child. In a more general sense, this story underscores the resourcefulness, resilience, and dedication inherent in both wartime efforts and the journey of parenting. Make no mistake…there is a war against our kids that we must prepare them for.
Just as the Allied governments sought the freedom of their soldiers during World War II…parents just want their children to be free…free to do better than they ever did…to experience a deeper relationship with God…to pursue their life’s purpose…to love their future spouse and children well.
BARBARA JOHNSON | To be in your children’s memories tomorrow, you have to be in their lives today.