Lives Touched Coaching
  • Home
    • About Me
  • Work With Me
    • Parent Coaching
    • Webinars and Training
    • Educational Training
    • Brainspotting
    • Relationship Resolution Package
    • Parent-Teen Ideas
  • Book
  • Resources
    • Privacy Policy
  • Blog
  • Podcasts
  • Contact

Lives Touched Coaching Blog

Is you child a "bad sport"?

3/7/2022

0 Comments

 
Do you dread or avoid playing games with your kid because you know it will inevitably end in a meltdown?  Is your kid a “bad sport” when it comes to playing games?  Well, take heart!  You are not alone.  Read on to get three things you can do right now to help your keep the fun in the game!  

​
Picture
If you have a kid that can’t handle losing a game you know how quickly the fun comes to an end.  Maybe a loss results in your child storming off, throwing the game pieces, yelling or swiping the cards to the ground.  Or maybe your child is a poor winner, and makes the other kids feel terrible.   Do you know what many parents do about this challenge?  
NOTHING!  We avoid playing games because it’s miserable. And, while that approach is able to avoid the struggle in the moment, it also avoids the teaching opportunity.  Instead, we can help our kids learn to be gracious winners and accept losses with dignity.  Here are three things to try.
  1.  Plan ahead:  Before playing a simple game with your child try asking a question.  “I’d love to play Go-Fish with you.  Part of the game is asking for cards the other person has.  I wonder how you’ll feel if I ask for a card that you have?”  This gets your kid thinking ahead.
  2. Add in solutions:  “Hmmm, I wonder how I’LL feel if YOU ask me for a card I have.  I might feel frustrated.  Hmmm, I think when that happens I’ll take two big breaths (demonstrate) and say “darn, you got my starfish!”  Then if I still feel bad, maybe I’ll ask you for a hug.”  Whether or not your child participates in sharing possible solutions, he/she is learning from your strategies.
  3. Add something silly: When a game ends, someone has won and the others have… not won (lost).  Emotions can be high.  My family started ending each game with something silly.  We all cross our arms, then hold hands with the person on either side of us, and shake hands up and down while saying “good game, good game, good game”.  This always gets people smiling and making friendly eye contact.  It keeps the focus on fun, and off winning and losing.  Try it out and let me know if it works for your family!

    If you are in a season on struggle with you child, reach out to me.  A free S.O.S (Save Our Sanity) Coaching Consult might be your next step.  Have hope!  There is growth in your future.  


Contact me
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Dana Parisi

    Archives

    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    March 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021

    Categories

    All
    Anger
    Behavior
    Breathing Techniques
    Burnout
    Christmas
    Coaching
    Connection
    Discipline
    Fatigue
    Fitness
    Fun
    Grandparent
    Gratitude
    Health
    Holidays
    Listening
    Love
    Meltdowns
    Mindfulness
    Motivation
    Nutrition
    Parenting
    Patience
    Phone Down Challenge
    Play
    Regulation
    Routines
    School
    Strategies
    Stress
    Summer
    Teenagers
    Transitions

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
Photos from @ S@ndrine, wuestenigel, lizmcdonaldphoto
  • Home
    • About Me
  • Work With Me
    • Parent Coaching
    • Webinars and Training
    • Educational Training
    • Brainspotting
    • Relationship Resolution Package
    • Parent-Teen Ideas
  • Book
  • Resources
    • Privacy Policy
  • Blog
  • Podcasts
  • Contact