Losing

There is a lot to say about being a gracious winner and a graceful loser, a balance that few seem to really have.
Parenting can be difficult, but the process has had its ups and downs.
  Coaches, teachers, psychologist and mentors around the world believe that sports, games, and the like add to a child’s psychological well-being as much as their mind and body.
 Whether you agree with that idea or not, we can all agree that there are two major parts to playing anything competitive, winners and losers.
 I believe with my whole being that losing provides more than just a second place ribbon; it builds more character than winning ever could.  Losing provides life skills that prepare one for the unexpected, and at times, cruel world.

Life is not an Oprah Winfrey show, everyone doesn’t get something.
  Parents need to encourage their children during times of defeat, not foster a sense of entitlement.  So how does one implement these skills, standards of life, into a child’s heart and mind?  It is not rocket science and it’s done every day.  The very first step is called role modeling.

How you handle YOURself when given the proverbial lemons of life, is instrumental in how your child sees the same situation.

 If you blame everyone else on your loss and don’t take stock on how you could have improved the outcome, then you are a poor role model.

  Let your child see you practice, let them see you study and read, let them witness you overcome.  A child becomes what they see, and if they see hard work and discipline, then the expectation is instinctive.