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Feb. 20, 2023

Ask Margaret: Can We Help Kids Get Better at Losing?

What do we do when our kids throw tantrums over everything from losing a board game to striking out at the plate? Here's how to help kids put their small losses in perspective.

A listener asks:

"Has anyone had success in helping their kids becoming ”better” at losing? Sports, board games, even school work…anything that they get frustrated with, it is to an extreme degree. I have three boys ages 7, 5 and 4 and they all do the same things—always throwing a huge tantrum."

Margaret explains that it's important to have a good offense in situations like these. Don't try and reason with your kid right after they've suffered a loss and lecture them on Buddhist philosophies of nonattachment. Talk to your kid before the game/event about what is important in these situations, like being a good teammate and practicing in order to get better at something.

Links!

Cleveland Clinic: "Sore Loser? How to Help Your Child Handle Disappointment"

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