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Our kid expects to succeed all the time in school and sports. When he doesn't, he gets very upset. How can we help him handle failure?
– Need to Succeed
Everyone likes to succeed. Who doesn’t want to get the promotion, ace the quiz, or be on the winning soccer team? Nevertheless, children have to learn to cope with failure, from losing a board game to failing a test. Unfortunately, high-achieving students can be quite afraid of being “bad” at anything.
School just gets harder and harder every year, so you want your son to begin to develop a “can-do” attitude. You do not want him to become a child who gives up easily and expects to fail. Should there be an area in which your son is truly in over his head, get him help as soon as possible.
When your son does not do well at something, either academically or sports-related, it is probably because he has not sufficiently mastered the skill. Help him think of ways he could have done better. And show him how far he has come in mastering a skill. By doing this, he will be able to handle other difficult situations when they occur and still be able to control his emotions.
Parents should send questions and comments to
dearteacher@dearteacher.com or to the Dear Teacher website.
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