Games are a fun family activity. But how important is winning for children? Should parents play full out, or are there times when they should let kids win?

In an article that’s going viral, a blogger who goes by The Lunchbox Dad says when he and wife “play board games, sports, card games, or hopscotch with our kids-we don’t let them win. We never have.”I had the opportunity to discuss this topic with other Studio 5 contributors. My take is that games are a good way to teach children that accomplishments do not equal self-worth. If a child loses, a parent can help him/her understand that winning isn’t everything. This is an opportunity to model what a good winner….and a good loser looks like. The comfort of home may be the perfect place for a child to experience losing a competition.Another point that came up in our discussion is that whether or not parents let their kids win is perhaps best based on their age. Young children may get a much needed confidence boost from feeling that they’ve won, but with teenage kids, parents probably want to bring their A game.Click here to read the article in full. 

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