How to face loss like a champion

Because children haven’t developed the emotional intelligence necessary to control their feelings, a common reaction to loss is anger.

Winning tastes good. The victory after a game is usually unforgettable because it’s very exciting, especially for children. But as we all know, we don’t win every time and we must prepare children  for the different situations that can lead them to a defeat. It is essential to teach kids that losing is part of an resilience process.

Because children haven’t developed the emotional intelligence necessary to control their feelings, a common reaction to loss is anger. It’s the job’s parents to guide kids towards a better understanding of feelings and teach them tools to tolerate frustration.

• Set limits on anger

Let them know It’s normal to feel sad and a little bit down, but uncontrolled rage is not acceptable.

• Rejoice when they win and lose

Celebrating participation teaches them that the most important thing is to enjoy the game.

• Use words full of good intentions

Tell them things like “the important thing is to participate”, “it’s okay if we lose”, and “have fun”.

• Encourage teamwork

Respect for others is fundamental for children to learn how to play and enjoy the game.

Let’s teach children that the real winners are the ones who enjoy the activity, cooperate, don’t give up and learn from what didn’t work, so that they can do much better next time.  True winners know  that success does not depend on the final score but on the process. And that celebrating every match , regardless of the result, is the path to a happier life because one of the most important lessons is knowing how to face loss and still feel like a champion.