I'm thrilled that my children love sports, especially my 6-year old. I'd like to think that bouncing the ball off his head when he was a 9 months old steered him that way, but who knows? (The ball was one of those very light ones!). Now, he'll play anything, got a roster spot on a U8 soccer team, has a golf swing that makes me drool with envy and ran an 8-minute mile in a recent Turkey Trot. He has an engine that won't quit. He's also is uber-competitive. And that becomes a problem sometimes.
This MLK day, I had my 2 boys at the park. The 6-year old naturally suggested a game of football (tackle, except for dad) and the 4-year quickly went along with it. As customary, my 4-year old and I form one team...and the 6-year is by himself. It was 14-14 and we had to get going home soon. Now, against the proper rules of parenting, I declared "Next touchdown wins!". Usually, I let the older guy win since he cares more. But I decided to switch it around. I made a key defensive stop and then drove with my little guy down the field. On 4th and goal, a nice shovel pass connected. As the 4-year old caught it, the 6-year old reached out and pushed him to the ground. My arms went up for Touchdown!
Almost immediately, the 6-year old's eyes started to tear. "It was incomplete. The ball hit the ground!" Arguing and crying ensued for a minute. I announced "After further review, the replay was inconclusive and therefore the ruling on the field stands. Touchdown!". More tears. The 4-year old was no happier that he won or lost, but the 6-year old wasn't taking the news well. A couple more minutes of tears later, we finally started our walk home. In all the seriousness that a 6-year old can muster, he asked "Dad, can we get an instant replay machine?" So, if anyone has an old instant replay machine, there's a 6-year old in the market.
I truthfully like the 6-year old's competitiveness, as long as it can remain in check. Each child is different and my older one gets the praise that he needs (and I knock down his ego every once in awhile). I'm not sure I'm exactly following the recommendations from JuiceBoxJungle on how to handle the competitive youth, but I definitely realize that my 2 boys have a different perspective on winning, results, etc.
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