Winning by Asking for Help?
October 30th, 2005 by 
Administrator
Today, my five year old son was crying. He has been beaten several times in the video game by his 9 year old brother, and he was complaining to us, the parents, that his older brother should let him win. My wife thinks that it is good he wants to take on his elder brother, and we should let him win sometime - even intentionally.
I am not sure if this is the correct way. Would you let your kids win sometime unfairly to encourage them? Would this create a dependent behavior that would otherwise make them feel that if they cannot win fair and square, they can win by complaining?
del.icio.us Digg it reddit StumbleUpon
Posted in On Life | 
October 31st, 2005 at 2:29 am
I believe you should let your 5 year old win sometimes, but not as a rule. His self esteem will be much better if he feels he can win sometime. But you should not let him know you are doing this because he has cried to get his way. Let him win with parents instead of his sibling. That way the chance of him finding you were only letting him win are none.
October 31st, 2005 at 10:23 am
thanks a lot.
for now, he does not care whether we let him win or he won on his accord. He just wants to win (grin)… Just don’t know how bad his behavior now because we always let him win before.
but thanks. that is great advice.
October 31st, 2005 at 2:38 pm
Let the nine-year-old train the five-year-old in “training skirmishes”. In such skirmishes, the trainee is allowed to score hits, and the trainer is allowed to lose.
That way, the five-year old learns how to be a trainee, and the nine-year-old learns how to be a trainer.
As a gamer, this is how I train newbies.