I am super, overwhelmingly competitive. I don’t just LIKE to win. I HAVE to win. It’s like a switch gets flipped and I become Super Competitive Beast Woman. And I will do whatever it takes to win. I do not…repeat DO NOT believe in letting anyone win…EVER! I don’t care if they are 5 years old or 105 years old. Sick. Dying. Best friend. Love interest. Don’t care. I will win at all costs, and if by some chance YOU happen to win, there must have been something that interfered with the game. The wind, or some random noise, a tree got in the way, or leprechauns moved my game pieces when I wasn’t looking. So basically, I have a wee bit of a competitive streak.
I have never, ever let my kids win at anything. Nothing. Never. Not even Peakaboo. Not Hungry, Hungry Hippo or Candyland or Uno. Not Monopoly. Not a video game. And especially not Badminton. And don’t judge. Badminton is an Olympic sport now. That’s right. Respect the game.
Alright, so when my oldest was about 4 or 5, she got a Connect 4 game. She made the mistake of asking ME to play with her. Challenge accepted! I wiped the floor with her. Repeatedly. Mercilessly. At one point, she started crying and asking me if I would let her win just one time. LET HER WIN?!?!? I don't even understand these words. What kind of pathetic loser was I raising? I told her she could win when she was good enough to beat me herself. Until then, she could continue to lose. Lose badly. And cry while I laugh in her face. Oh yeah, and I talk a LOT of trash when I’m in Super Competitive Beast Woman mode. Yes, even to children. They need to learn early in life that they aren’t going to be good at everything, and the world isn't going to baby them. It's just good parenting. (Please don't take parenting advise from me.)
I did encourage her to keep working and trying and strategizing, because one day, maybe, if she ever does beat me on her own, it will mean so much more to her than if I just gave it to her. Why let kids believe that stuff should just be handed to them because they cry or whine? Doesn’t work for me. I have to work for what I get. And it’s more valuable because I earned it. (See, real life lesson there.) Winning in a game is no different. If I win because I earned it, it is way more valuable. If I win because I "accidentally" knocked you down, moved your game piece, or something like that, well, hey, I still won, but don’t feel quite as good about it. Still pretty good though. If you legitimately beat me in a game…well I’m gonna act like a giant baby, but YOU can at least feel good that you won fair and square, because I didn’t give it to you. If that happens though, we probably won't be friends anymore.
I have never, ever let my kids win at anything. Nothing. Never. Not even Peakaboo. Not Hungry, Hungry Hippo or Candyland or Uno. Not Monopoly. Not a video game. And especially not Badminton. And don’t judge. Badminton is an Olympic sport now. That’s right. Respect the game.
Alright, so when my oldest was about 4 or 5, she got a Connect 4 game. She made the mistake of asking ME to play with her. Challenge accepted! I wiped the floor with her. Repeatedly. Mercilessly. At one point, she started crying and asking me if I would let her win just one time. LET HER WIN?!?!? I don't even understand these words. What kind of pathetic loser was I raising? I told her she could win when she was good enough to beat me herself. Until then, she could continue to lose. Lose badly. And cry while I laugh in her face. Oh yeah, and I talk a LOT of trash when I’m in Super Competitive Beast Woman mode. Yes, even to children. They need to learn early in life that they aren’t going to be good at everything, and the world isn't going to baby them. It's just good parenting. (Please don't take parenting advise from me.)
I did encourage her to keep working and trying and strategizing, because one day, maybe, if she ever does beat me on her own, it will mean so much more to her than if I just gave it to her. Why let kids believe that stuff should just be handed to them because they cry or whine? Doesn’t work for me. I have to work for what I get. And it’s more valuable because I earned it. (See, real life lesson there.) Winning in a game is no different. If I win because I earned it, it is way more valuable. If I win because I "accidentally" knocked you down, moved your game piece, or something like that, well, hey, I still won, but don’t feel quite as good about it. Still pretty good though. If you legitimately beat me in a game…well I’m gonna act like a giant baby, but YOU can at least feel good that you won fair and square, because I didn’t give it to you. If that happens though, we probably won't be friends anymore.