GIVE THEM THE CHANCE TO LOSE Giving your kids the chance to experience losing, first at home in the form of family games, and later through more organized activities like team sports, will provide them with the tools they need to face disappointment head on. Many parents are willing to take a quick loss on board games like Monopoly or Connect Four, but you shouldn’t always let your kids win. Allowing them to lose in a safe place, like home, gives your kids the opportunity to deal with disappointment in privacy, before they throw a temper tantrum on the soccer field. ACKNOWLEDGE DISAPPOINTMENT If your child is upset after a loss, talk to them about it openly. Bowman suggests that you, “Explain that everyone, even their favorite sports stars, lose sometimes. Avoid minimizing their disappointment by saying things like ‘it doesn’t matter.’” She suggests that you instead talk about why your child is disappointed. Although you can tell them that things don’t always go the way that we want them to, make sure you assure him or her that there will be times that they win in the future.
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