Since the summer started my kids have been playing board games like it's nobody's business. The have been spending hours playing games.
Trouble
, Chutes and Ladders
, Uno
, anything they can get their hands on.
I'm not sure that there is a favorite among the pile of games. It's just whatever they feel like playing.
The other day Paul and I overheard Stephen telling his brothers that he didn't want to play any game because he always loses. Paul and I laughed at the thought and both agreed that this was a wimps way out. Harsh? Nah, it's reality. Only a wimp wouldn't play a game because he's afraid to lose.
Now before you go judging me I didn't actually say this to Stephen, but I would say it if we were in the same room if the conversation goes that way. They need to learn to taking losing as well as winning.
Story Part II
Every other Saturday my kids participate in something called The Lehigh Valley Road Runners. It's a free running program for kids. It's geared at getting kids excited about running and encouraging exercise in a world that doesn't encourage it enough. They break the kids into age groups starting at 3 all the way up to 12 and have them running races.
The last race was the first time that David and Joshua moved up from the 3-4 yr division to the 5-6. In the beginning of the summer David was running strong and coming in the top of the pack. This last race he didn't not do as well. Someone who doesn't know our kids would have no idea what happened. But Paul and I saw it and knew right away why David under performed.
See Stephen is in the 5-6 division as well, and Stephen is not a strong runner. He did cross-country last year and the poor kid try as hard as he did and always came in last. But the thing is he aways did it with a smile. David is fast. When playing outside he often outruns his brothers. I think David somehow got all of the athletic ability in the house. In this last race David was running with Stephen, he was staying one step behind Stephen the whole time. David let his big brother come in ahead of him.
Back to today's observation.
The boys were playing downstairs, and David convinced Stephen to play a game with him. Stephen won. David asked if they could play another game. Stephen declined. David then said, but maybe you could win that game too. Stephen still said no.
What this tells me?
David cares more about playing with Stephen than he does about winning. David is fully aware of how Stephen feels when he doesn't win, and David does what he can to spare his feelings. Sometimes ;)
David let Stephen win this mornings game. This is so that David can keep playing the games he wants to play with Stephen. This fascinates me. The boys are five years old. And they are already fully aware of how to manipulate each other to do what they want.
Before you go gushy.
Just so you know, that while this gesture of David letting Stephen win to spare his feelings is really sweet, David can also be quite the stinker. Like I said, David is willing to give up winning in order to keep playing. He wants to play these games, and he'll do what it takes to play. Yes, he does care about his brothers (and sister), and he does care if they are happy or not. But his motives are always pure. After all this is the boy that is known for hiding puzzle pieces when someone is working on a puzzle. ;)
Trouble
, Chutes and Ladders, Uno, anything they can get their hands on.I'm not sure that there is a favorite among the pile of games. It's just whatever they feel like playing.
The other day Paul and I overheard Stephen telling his brothers that he didn't want to play any game because he always loses. Paul and I laughed at the thought and both agreed that this was a wimps way out. Harsh? Nah, it's reality. Only a wimp wouldn't play a game because he's afraid to lose.
Now before you go judging me I didn't actually say this to Stephen, but I would say it if we were in the same room if the conversation goes that way. They need to learn to taking losing as well as winning.
Story Part II
Every other Saturday my kids participate in something called The Lehigh Valley Road Runners. It's a free running program for kids. It's geared at getting kids excited about running and encouraging exercise in a world that doesn't encourage it enough. They break the kids into age groups starting at 3 all the way up to 12 and have them running races.
The last race was the first time that David and Joshua moved up from the 3-4 yr division to the 5-6. In the beginning of the summer David was running strong and coming in the top of the pack. This last race he didn't not do as well. Someone who doesn't know our kids would have no idea what happened. But Paul and I saw it and knew right away why David under performed.
See Stephen is in the 5-6 division as well, and Stephen is not a strong runner. He did cross-country last year and the poor kid try as hard as he did and always came in last. But the thing is he aways did it with a smile. David is fast. When playing outside he often outruns his brothers. I think David somehow got all of the athletic ability in the house. In this last race David was running with Stephen, he was staying one step behind Stephen the whole time. David let his big brother come in ahead of him.
Back to today's observation.
The boys were playing downstairs, and David convinced Stephen to play a game with him. Stephen won. David asked if they could play another game. Stephen declined. David then said, but maybe you could win that game too. Stephen still said no.
What this tells me?
David cares more about playing with Stephen than he does about winning. David is fully aware of how Stephen feels when he doesn't win, and David does what he can to spare his feelings. Sometimes ;)
David let Stephen win this mornings game. This is so that David can keep playing the games he wants to play with Stephen. This fascinates me. The boys are five years old. And they are already fully aware of how to manipulate each other to do what they want.
Before you go gushy.
Just so you know, that while this gesture of David letting Stephen win to spare his feelings is really sweet, David can also be quite the stinker. Like I said, David is willing to give up winning in order to keep playing. He wants to play these games, and he'll do what it takes to play. Yes, he does care about his brothers (and sister), and he does care if they are happy or not. But his motives are always pure. After all this is the boy that is known for hiding puzzle pieces when someone is working on a puzzle. ;)
