You are on a running race with your five year old daughter and of course – she wins though it is obvious that you are a lot faster than her. Letting your kid win seems the right thing to do. You are only protecting her from the disappointment and other bad feelings.
No matter your intentions, you have to know that sometimes, you have to let your kid lose and learn how to deal with it gracefully. If you let her lose, she will have a good foundation when she becomes an adult. She will think that it is not always winning that matters most.
Here are other reasons why your kid needs to lose:
- Developing coping skills: Your child needs to learn how to cope especially if she is losing. The world is a competition and there will come a time that she will be left behind. It is important that she knows how to deal with it so she will not end up feeling sorry.
- Teaching them the joy of having fun: When everything is competition, you cannot enjoy because you are eyeing for something. Your kid needs to know that it is not all about winning but enjoying the game as it is.
- Teaching empathy: How can your kid identify with others if she did not experience feelings of disappointment and losing? It is important that your kid relates to the people around her. Do not let your kid be exclusive.
- Building self-confidence: Your kid needs to know that losing is part of life. As soon as she accepts that, whenever she fails, she can stand up and strive harder next time. This is teaching your kid the value of self-confidence.
Losing can teach your kid a lot of things. You have to let your kid lose at some point in time.
