Too much competitiveness among children can be a bad thing. We don’t want them to feel like they’re only good enough if they win everything. However, competition can teach them valuable lessons too. They can learn how to accept defeat gracefully and how to be humble winner. We can teach them not to give up and to keep trying, even if they’re not very good at something. It also improves their interest in the activity they’re taking part in, whether it’s a board game or sport. Plus, they can have a lot of fun and build their confidence. But if we’re not careful, we can place too much pressure on our children. Have a look at some of the ways I think we can use competition to help our kids grow in a healthy way.
Provide Structure But Not Stress
If your children enjoy a competitive activity, you need to balance how you approach it. They need to understand that if they want to do well, they have to put in the time to practice. However, you have to make sure that you don’t put all the focus onto winning. If they want to compete but they aren’t putting in the effort, it’s in their best interests if you encourage them to try harder. But they don’t have to try to make sure they win; they’re doing it so they can feel proud of their effort. It should be about trying their best, even if that means not winning anything. Providing them with plenty of structure, such as regular coaching, will help them feel more confident and aim high.
Plenty of Praise
Some people frown upon kids’ events where they get something just for taking part. But why shouldn’t children be rewarded for trying? Many adults will reward themselves with something after a tough day. We’ve all done things like buying some chocolate after a job interview. Not everything is about winning and getting ahead. Being willing to try and to keep trying is important too. Making sure your child gets plenty of praise for the effort they put into competing. You could even use cheap trophies and medals to reward them for being brave or working hard.
Talk About Competing
Discussing competition is just as important as participating in it. Competing in any way can bring up lots of feelings. Every child is different and will react in different ways. Some will feel shy about taking part, while others will find it difficult to deal with not winning. You should try to talk about the positive and negative emotions that come with competing. You can discuss healthy attitudes to have when in a competition and how to deal with winning or losing.
Lead By Example
Parents and guardians can teach their children healthy competitive traits by demonstrating themselves. You should try to avoid unhealthy behaviours, like giving up too soon if you can’t do something. Even many adults are sore losers, even if it’s a sports team they support that’s lost and not themselves. By showing appropriate ways to deal with competition, you can help your children develop healthy habits.
Competition doesn’t have to encourage your children to insufferable brats who grow up to be horrible adults. You can use it in a healthy way to help them grow.
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