| Competition is a fact of life. Some of us
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| | can feel just fine to do your best, lose,
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| are more competitive than others and put
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| | and congratulate your opponent with a
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| ourselves into situations that test our
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| | handshake. Kids are ready to grasp the
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| endurance, strength, knowledge,
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| | concept of good sportsmanship at
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| perseverance and skill. Be it sports,
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| | different points of development. Start
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| writing, business, or art, competitive
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| | when they are young, continue to
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| situations allow us to model good
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| | reinforce the message, and they will get
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| behavior and teach our children about
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| | it in time. Also, it is very important
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| taking risks and chances, being good
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| | that you model good sportsmanship for
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| sports, having resilience and maintaining
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| | your children. Parents are the most
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| balance even through "edge of your seat"
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| | important role model that children will
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| times.
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| | ever have, so it is important that if you
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| Discussing competition with our children
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| | are playing or watching them play be a
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| can be broken down into these key topics.
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| | good sport.
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| Risk
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| | Resilience
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| Teach your children that taking healthy
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| | Losing is a fact of life. Parents need to
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| risk is good and that being risk averse
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| | guide children through the hurt,
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| can keep them from enjoying activities
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| | humiliation and frustration that go hand
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| that they love. Encourage them to step
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| | in hand with losing. For some children
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| outside of their comfort zone and do
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| | losing can feel like the end of the
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| things that might make them feel a little
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| | world. First praise, praise, praise for a
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| uncomfortable. Examples of risk taking
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| | job well done. Point out what the child
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| for young children could be approaching
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| | did right, not what he or she did wrong;
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| children to play at school or on the
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| | leave that to the coach or teacher. Be
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| playground, trying a new instrument or
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| | there for your children after a loss and
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| sport, taking the the training wheels
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| | listen to them. Encourage your kids to
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| off, skating, or competing in a sports
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| | keep working at what they love. Allow
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| league. Start encouraging your children
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| | your children to vent their aggravation
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| to take risks early and help them build
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| | after a loss, let them take a little
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| the self confidence that they will need
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| | break if they need it and then nudge them
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| as adults to interview for college, go
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| | right back out there. Resilience means
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| for the really great job or ask for a
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| | bouncing back from disappointment, so
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| raise.
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| | help them to bounce back. Winning is also
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| Remind your children that everyone feels
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| | a fact of life. Teach your children to
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| anxious in new situations, even the
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| | win with grace and to show respect to
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| teacher on the first day of school and
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| | their opponents. Let them enjoy their
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| the coach on the first day of practice!
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| | win! Remind them that their opponent
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| Your kids need to know that the child
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| | might be feeling crummy. Also remind them
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| that they would love to play with on the
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| | that a win today could be a loss
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| jungle gym would be thrilled to have a
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| | tomorrow.
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| new buddy.
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| | Maintaining Balance
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| Try not to label a child as "shy",
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| | Introduce your children to many different
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| "introverted", or "reserved" because once
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| | activities. Sometimes as parents we only
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| labeled people find evidence to support
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| | encourage our kids to do those sports or
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| that characterization. Where can a child
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| | activities that we love or that our
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| go from a label like that? Suddenly they
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| | children excel at right off the bat.
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| are not expected to take risks because
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| | Listen and watch your kids play. Do their
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| they are "shy" so they do not push
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| | eyes light up when they help in the
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| themselves to push through their
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| | kitchen? Do they beg Daddy to take them
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| discomfort...the same discomfort that
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| | out to throw a baseball? How about story
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| everyone feels to some degree in new
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| | telling or bug collecting or dancing?
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| situations. It is also very difficult to
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| | Give them a lot of down time to imagine
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| change a label, so a child that was
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| | and create and make believe and rest.
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| initially more reserved but who has
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| | Conclusion
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| learned how to be more outgoing has a
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| | Competition is healthy for people. It
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| hard time shaking the initial label.
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| | encourages us to put ourselves out there
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| Sportsmanship
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| | and risk failure and success. There is a
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| Good sportsmanship is one of the greatest
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| | new trend to shield children from
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| lessons you can teach your children.
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| | competition because their feelings may
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| Roger Federer, considered to be perhaps
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| | get hurt if they lose. How could this
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| the greatest tennis player of all time,
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| | possibly benefit our children? If
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| did not start winning major tournaments
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| | children never learn how to lose when
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| until he conquered his temper on the
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| | they are young then how do they handle
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| court. His poise especially during the
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| | adulthood where life if wrought with
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| most important points makes him virtually
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| | difficulties: eliminated job positions,
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| unbeatable. He hates to lose but has
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| | relationships that go south, lost tennis
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| grace when he does and uses a loss to
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| | matches, and financial trouble? The goal
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| further perfect his game.
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| | is to prepare our children for adulthood
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| Teach your children, even when playing
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| | so that they can face life head-on with
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| tic-tac-toe, that win or lose they must
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| | guts and not crumble at failure. We want
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| be good sports. Assure them that win or
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| | to teach our children to tackle life with
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| lose you love them and they are great. It
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| | gusto.
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