Competition: How Much Is Good For Our Kids?

What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms

Does competition have benefits? What level of competition is healthy for our kids? Many of us agree that the stereotypical dad yelling through the fence at T-Ball is taking things a little too seriously. But others say that participation trophies teach our kids to be lazy and therefore represent the ultimate downfall of our civilization. How do we balance teaching the eye of the tiger with just letting our kids play?

In this episode we get to the bottom of why some people are more competitive than others, what the right age is for kids to start learning the lessons of losing, and how competition (when it's done right) can actually teach cooperation and self-regulation.

Here are links to some writing on the topic that we discuss in this episode:

'Shirtless Tongan' Pita Taufatofua makes Olympic history

Evolution of competitiveness: Scientists explain diversity in competitiveness

Byron Heath on Kerri Strug

Do participation trophies hurt our motivation? Some say yes

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