Teach kids to win and lose graciously with game nights
What's the story
Board game nights are about more than fun; they're a training ground for teamwork, strategy, and sportsmanship. In a world saturated with screens, board games provide a tactile and interactive escape. This article delves into how parents can leverage game nights to teach kids how to be gracious winners and losers—lessons that will become part of the "fabric of their life."
Role modeling
Setting the right example
Kids absorb everything, so it's crucial for adults to demonstrate good sportsmanship during board games. Emphasizing the fun of playing, rather than the outcome, fosters a sense of humility and grace in children. This way, you can teach them that the whole point of game nights is to enjoy the journey, not the destination.
Game selection
Choosing cooperative over competitive games
To foster teamwork instead of competition, choose board games that focus on collaboration to achieve a common goal. Titles such as Pandemic and Forbidden Island are great choices, as they necessitate players to plan and make decisions as a team. This method reduces stress and encourages a feeling of togetherness and shared accomplishment, regardless of the ultimate outcome of the game.
Focus shift
Emphasizing learning over winning
Instead of emphasizing winning, concentrate on learning new skills or enhancing existing ones. After each game night, ask your kids what they learned from the experience. Be it exhibiting patience while awaiting their turn during a game or honing their strategic thinking abilities, emphasizing these learnings helps children realize that every game imparts crucial lessons extending beyond mere victory or defeat.
Reflection time
Encouraging reflection post-game
Prompt children to think about their behavior after the game is over. Ask them to identify how they felt when they won or lost, and talk about how they can handle those feelings better next time. This cool-down period is crucial for building emotional intelligence. It teaches kids to acknowledge their emotions and express them appropriately.
Positive reinforcement
Praising effort not outcome
Instead of just praising your kids when they win, praise them for their effort, their strategy or how well they worked with others in the game. Tell them you enjoyed seeing them do that. It will make them realize that even though winning is fun, trying and getting better is also great. Teach your kids to love the game more than the win.