How My 6yo Outwitted Me: I've Been Kobayashi Maru'd!

Rachel Thompson

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How My 6yo Outwitted Me: I’ve Been Kobayashi Maru’d!

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Another guest post this week from none other than Mr. RachelintheOC, my guy JP Thompson. He’s a huge sci-fi geek (more than I, if that’s possible) and when our children surprised us last week with some pretty cool ingenuity, he immediately thought of Star Trek. It made me laugh. I hope you enjoy it! 

 

I’ve Been Kobayashi Maru’d!

New movie. Kirk during the Kobayashi Maru training simulation.

 

Alas, outwitted by my six-year-old.

 

As you all know, I am a big fan of Star Trek and this past weekend I had the opportunity to put my six-year-old son thru what I thought would be the equivalent of the Kobayashi Maru No-Win Scenario.  Just as Captain Kirk was put to the test, so was my son.

 

The scenario: I took the kids to Party City this past weekend and my son (6) and his friend (5) asked me to get them each a 79-cent Rubik’s Cube.  After they had played with their cubes for awhile, and then told each other that there is no way they will be able to match up all the colors again, I saw my chance to spring the Kobayashi Maru on them.

 

Knowing my son is a Skylander fanatic, I announced that if they matched up all the colors again (solve the Rubik’s Cube), I would give them each a new Skylander.  Bingo, no way a six year old can escape three Klingon Cruisers!  My son sat back in the Captain’s Chair (his booster seat), and went to work.  Seconds into minutes, minutes into hours, and then finally the distress call!  The Kobayashi Maru is in trouble and losing power!

 

Dad, what if I do just one side?  Me: Nope!

 

You have arrived at the Neutral Zone (home). My son and daughter (13) enter the Neutral Zone and disappear.  All communication is lost.

 

Captain’s log: No way my daughter can help with the scenario.  No way. 

 

The three Klingon Cruisers are closing, attack formation.  I pass by Engineering (her bedroom) and see them looking with confusion at the twenty-seven little square pieces of the puzzle lying on the table. It might as well have been a shattered dilithium crystal.  I laughed.  “It didn’t take you long to break that new toy,” I said.  Kirk: “That’s okay Dad. Scottie and I are working on it.”

 

Captain’s log:  “Another dream that failed. There’s nothing sadder.”

 

After awhile, I figured the Enterprise had been destroyed.  Wrong!  The youngest captain ever comes swaggering into Starfleet (the kitchen) and proudly presents me the completed Rubik’s Cube.  As I look at it, I see the photon torpedoes destroying the Klingon Cruisers one by one as he announces to me, “You didn’t say HOW to put it back so all the colors match. Can I have the Skylander now?”  Starfleet: ‘Yes, and you get a commendation for original thinking.’

Ha!

 

Epilogue:  “Genius doesn’t work on an assembly line basis. You can’t simply say, ‘Today I will be brilliant.”

If you have comments or questions, please leave them below! 

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Comments

  3. JP – that is hilarious. I play that Starfleet game with Kipling and Zippy and all they reward me with is a yard full of pieces of broken toys to pick up (if you know what I mean) . . . Then they want more Starfleet treats and foxy partners with things sticking out of their ears like lieutenant Uhura, to communicate with (if you know what I mean).

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  27. They’d have saved some time if they’d realized that the colored stickers come off, but at least they got it done. You’ll have to stay on your toes. Really, I guess it’s a lesson that all parents should.

    Of course, such cautionary tales have been handed down since before the Titans. Slow learning curve. We need to work on that.

    Thanks for sharing. Live Long and Prosper.

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  28. This is fantastic! Your son certainly deserves the prize. Quite possibly your daughter deserves one for collaboration efforts as well. Because, truly, there wasn’t anything in it for her. Wonderful, inspiring article.

    BC Brown Books ~ Paranormal, Mystery, Romance, Fantasy
    “Because Weird is Good.”

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