Losing Gracefully - book suggestions???

[FancyPants]

ds1 loves to compete but hates to lose (oddly) - to the point of tantrums
any book suggestions? I'd like something we can read together that would address this

PS I don't have him in competitive sports, I'm talking footraces with other kids in the park (games they are inventing themselves).

[4evermom]

Maybe you could introduce the concept of relay running with only one team, maybe holding an item that has to get to a goal (a cup of water to fill a bucket could journey from a spigot or hose to the bucket). The have been links posted to articles against competition by Alfie Kohn, maybe a search for that would turn up some ideas.

[FancyPants]

Oh, sorry, I guess I didn't explain well. I take ds1 to the park and let him interact on his own. I watch from the sidelines. The kids themselves are making up these games. I don't want to start hovering anymore than I need too or start directing their play. It is great for him to interact with different kids on his own I think. What I want are books to read together at night so that we can talk about competitive situations and how to deal with them.

[AngelBee]

:

[maya44]

You don't say how old ds is.

"Good Sport Gwen" is a good book for school aged kids, but because it involves winning and losing not just in sports but in a spelling bee, it might be over the heads of a little one.

It's published by American Girl.

[FancyPants]

ds is 4.5. I will look up the book.
Thanks

[4evermom]

I understood that the kids were coming up with racing on there own. I thought perhaps you would be interested in increasing his repetoire of running games that were not competitive. Then perhaps he could suggest alternatives when playing in the park if he doesn't enjoy the competitive aspect. Personally, I would be concerned that my ds was playing with a winner/loser mentality and would be looking for solutions to that, not trying to teach him how to lose gracefully.
http://www.shareintl.org/archives/co..._nocontest.htm