Parenting With a Purpose: Importance of Teaching Children to be Team Players

In today’s Parenting With a Purpose — parenting, education and behavior expert Reena B. Patel shares with The Four the importance of teaching children to be team players and instill sportsmanship.

Many families have tuned in to watch televised sports with lots of attention and talk about the SuperBowl and the Olympics. As parents, it’s important to point out the true meaning of a ‘winner’.

It doesn’t always mean you have more points or you received a gold medal, it means you went out, tried your best and supported your team, your competitors and your fans with respect.

As your children join team sports, it’s very important to teach them how to be a team player and not to be a sore loser.

Here are some tips to do just that:

• Observe: Watch sports games in person or on tv Olympics super bowl etc. to observe how role models handle defeat
• The cheer: Bringing positivity to any sport is so important. Teaching your children to cheer for their team whether they hit home runs or they miss the hit shows dignity and builds confidence for other children.
• Participation is so important: Sports activities teach everyone how to work together – it’s a team sport whether you are performing solo or as a group – those playing the opponents are still in the same scenario and you should always give them support
• Keep it fun: Picking up a sport or hobby is supposed to be fun. It’s good for your mental health and physical well being. Remind your children that this is something they want to do – and keep it fun.
• Teach them the language to use if they lose: Refrain from using the words everyone wins, instead teaching good sportsmanship and congratulating the child who says “good game” or “congratulations- can’t wait to play again” It teaches everyone how to respect one another and learn how to lose graciously, a life skill children should have.
• Learning self control: When they do not win is so important, the opportunity to learn from mistakes increases motivation and confidence
• Builds resilience: The ability to bounce back from challenges. Losing games is helpful for children because it teaches them to show empathy and develop coping with the experience of losing.
• Effort is important: Success is not something that is just handed to you.

If you’d like to here more from Reena B. Patel to visit her website. And enjoy our talk with her today on The Four below.