Alas. I have sat down numerous times, trying to find some creative words. There are none. I can't seem to complete a grocery list lately, let alone some insightful writing. I have too many disjointed thoughts and numerous distractions pulling at me. So I suppose the answer is just to begin, such as it is. I like writing this blog-thingy, even if it is simply for my own amusement. Do bear with me, if you happen to stumble here. It will get better eventually.
I did have one blog-ish complete thought yesterday. I was playing a board game with Laura and I found myself making sure she won, even if it meant bending the rules in her favour. I'm not sure what this does for her. Avoid disappointment? Make her happy? Make her feel superior to her silly ole mom? Do I really do her a favour letting her win 90% of the time? She's 7. Her friends aren't going to let her win it all. At what point do we stop protecting their feelings all the time and let them experience the real ups and downs of the world? Any thoughts?
This is a tough one. I don't like to just let my kids win, but on the other hand, I want to encourage them to like and enjoy games (because I do). I try to do about a 75-25 ratio of winning, with them coming out on top.
ReplyDeleteWe've signed up the Captain for a chess club this fall - his friend was going and he was interested. He does tend to cry when he loses so we're a bit worried about him. We'll see how it goes...if he turns out to be unable to handle it maybe we'll take a tougher approach to board games with the girls.
we are trying to toughen the wussy kid that we have created. so we don't let him win all the time. actually, he doesn't even like to play games but we are trying to get him to play every once in a while just to get him used to the fact that he can't always win or get what he wants. so far. not so good.
ReplyDeleteAs usual, I'm wishy-washy and without principles. If I'm feeling kind or unwilling to deal with fallout, I let them win. If I'm feeling in a tough-love mood (and they're being especially obnoxious about winning, which sometimes they are) I crush them like tin cans. I have a cherished memory from when Angus was about four when he and Matt played Monopoly and afterwards he said "Mommy, that was a fun game! Because I won the game!" and I said "Would you have said the same thing if you'd lost?" and he said "No, then I would have said Hmph! No fair!". Self-knowledge is a great thing.
ReplyDeleteI let my kids win the vast majority of the time. It's getting interesting now, though, cause now Jamie and Hana both want to play games with me at the same time. I can usually manipulate it so that I don't win, but it still means that one kid has to lose to the other one. I figure that'll help them get used to the idea that you can't always win.
ReplyDeleteAlso: blog-blocked? I know exactly how you feel.