Do We Have A Good Attitude Towards Competition?

Is competition healthy? Yes! It helps children to develop a good attitude and a drive to accomplish things. Children learn to work together to acheive a goal.  They learn to follow rules and directions. They learn to take turns and to be good sportsman when they lose. They learn that not everyone wins and that it is okay to lose. By losing they learn where they can improve as an individual and as a team.

So, how can our attitude affect them? Do we yell at coaches and other players? Have we gotten thrown out of games for our conduct? Are we sore losers when they lose? Do we mumble under our breath when we leave the game? Do we yell at our children that they could have done better or they should have done this or that? Do we make them practice even after they have already done that? Well you might say, I just want them to be their best" and that is okay. But we need to make sure that we take a cue from our children. See how our reactions are reflected in their faces.

They should want to compete, they should want to play, they should enjoy  it. As parents we should be their biggest support system, their cheerleaders and morale boosters when they lose. They should know by our reaction that it is okay to lose because it helps them to get better. They should be encouraged to try as many different things as they want, one thing may not be their passion even if it is ours. We have all seen the eye roll when they get asked to do something extra or beyond what they have already done the same thing. Well if our attitude isn't good, then we will have children who don't want to compete anymore, children who get embarrassed by our actions and may even give little effort so that they don't have to play anymore. They may feel like it is a chore and not fun anymore and worst of all, they may feel like they have done something wrong simply because our attitude is not good. If we keep our attitude in line with how they feel, they will feel secure in their decisons and want to do more, because they will know that they have the greatest support system behind them!!!