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Helping Your Child with Competition

While we live in a nation where competition abounds! And, kids are often the fiercest competitors. Kids compete for everything from grades to sports and auditions and many things in between! While competition is all around us, and can be a healthy thing, it is important to make sure that kids are taught to be the best competitors and good sports.

Teaching Kids to Be a Good Sport

While competition in life is mostly a good thing, it can have a negative side, especially if kids place too much of an emphases on it, or have not been taught to be a good sport. Teach your child about healthy competition. When it comes to teaching your child about competition, keep these parenting tips in mind:

  • Help your child focus more on the fun of competitive sports, rather than just the outcome. Also, teach her the importance of being a good sport when she does not win.
  • Give her best. Help her stay in top shape by getting proper nutrition, ensuring good sleep habits, and working with her coach. You can keep on top of these issues by using behavior or reward charts.
  • Focus on helping your child have a healthy self esteem. If she feels good about who she is, there is less of a chance she will be focused solely on competition.
  • Help her see the beauty in being unique, and that being different does not mean inferior. We are a nation of unique people, and that's what makes life interesting.
  • Set a good example. Don't let your own competitiveness drive your child. Whether you are trying to compete with family members, friends, or pushing your child to always win, she will notice.

Because some competition can be healthy and drive your child to want to do more, don't completely discourage the idea of competing. Instead, focus on keeping competition healthy and helping your child learn how to come in second place with class. Competition should be more about the balance feeling like one has to always keep up or come out on top. With some consistency, you will help your child have a healthy attitude toward competition!