My child is a bad player

Choose games adapted to the age of my child

It is often impossible to get three children to play together, either the little one cannot do it, or one chooses an easy game and the two older ones ostensibly let the younger one win, which usually makes him angry. If you have the same at home, make sure that the game you choose is suitable for its age. If all players are not evenly matched, suggest there is a handicap for stronger players or an advantage for smaller or less experienced players.

Play cooperation games

The advantage of these games is that there is no winner or loser. Cooperative games, which we play from the age of 4, thus bring the child to enter into a relationship with others.. He learns mutual aid, tenacity and the pleasure of playing together for the same objective. Board games, on the other hand, push players to compete. The winner is valued, he had more skill, luck or finesse. It is therefore interesting to alternate these two types of games, even to leave aside those which are too competitive for a while when there are too many conflicts and to come back to them regularly.

Make my child accept failure

Losing is not a drama, you endure failure depending on your age. Very quickly a child is plunged into a world of competition. Sometimes too fast: we measure each of our skills from an early age. Even the age of the first tooth can be a source of pride for parents. Gambling is a great way to teach him how to lose, not always to be the first, to accept that others are better while having fun playing with them..

Don’t underestimate my child’s anger

Often for a child to lose = to be null and for him, it is unbearable. If your child is such a bad player it is because he has the impression of disappointing. His frustration reflects his inability to do well when he desires it so badly. You just need to show enough patience to help her calm down. Little by little, he will learn to put up with his little failures, to realize that it is not so serious and to find pleasure in playing, even if he does not win every time.

Let my child express his anger

When he loses, he has a fit, stamps his feet and screams. Children are angry, especially at themselves when they lose. However, this is not a reason to avoid situations that lead to this anger. The first thing to do is to let him calm down on his own. He is then explained that he cannot always win and that he has the right to be upset. From the moment we recognize this right, it can be constructive to face setbacks.

Instill the pleasure of participating in my child

By promoting the pleasure of the game and not just its purpose, we transmit the idea that we are playing for fun. The pleasure of playing is having a good time together, discovering complicity with your partners, competing in cunning, speed, humor.. In short, to experience all kinds of personal qualities.

Organize “gambling den” evenings

The more a child plays, the better he bears losing. Offer him game nights with the television off to create a sort of event. Little by little, he won’t want to miss this different evening for the world. Especially not for bad-tempered stories. Children understand very quickly how their nervousness can spoil the party and they control themselves much better when the date is regular.

Don’t let my kid win on purpose

If your child loses all the time, it is because the game is not suitable for his age (or that you are also a terrible loser!). By letting him win, you maintain the illusion that he is the master of the game … or of the world. However, the board game serves precisely to teach him that he is not all-powerful. He must abide by the rules, accept winners and losers, and learn that the world does not fall apart when it loses.

Do not encourage competition at home

Instead of saying “the first person to finish their dinner wins”, say instead “we’ll see if you all can finish your dinner in ten minutes”. THEencourage them to cooperate rather than constantly putting them in competition, also helps them understand the interest and pleasure of being together rather than winning individually.

Lead by example

Whether it’s a game or a sport, if you express a very bad mood at the end, your children will do the same at their level. There are people who remain bad players all their lives, but they are not necessarily the most wanted partners.