Teaching children to lose- Create a life of grace and resilience
Everyone wants to win; that is a normal human response. However, learning to lose with grace sometimes takes a lifetime. This lifelong lesson should start as young as three years old. Developing resilience seems to be a life skill people do not associate with children, yet this is an opportune time to teach the bitter-sweet skill of losing.
Losing teaches reflection, growth, empathy, control of emotions, and the ability to make mistakes. Coping with mistakes and failure is easier when it’s taught by a good old game like chutes and ladders than in a board room full of CEOs. Learning about our weaknesses can help us learn new skills, strategy planning, and patience.
Life is full of challenges and setbacks so learning to lose and develop perseverance is an excellent skill to teach children. Failure cannot be taught as a negative, it should be seen as an opportunity to learn and build resilience.
Emotional regulation is another important skill. Losing can make children feel disappointed, angry and sad. Learning one’s feelings is valid but teaching children how they react to a loss is another lifelong lesson. Good sportsmanship would be things like congratulating the other team, winner or friend. Reflecting on the experience will also teach humility and respect.
As adults we constantly hear losing helps us learn and grow. This is even more important for children. Losing prepares them for life’s realities. Handling loss helps children learn with grace and it will help them navigate life’s ups and downs. So, learning to lose in tag or musical chairs is an easy price of this lesson.
Post Super Bowl is a great time to teach about winning and losing.
