Kids are so resilient by nature, they bounce back without a pause, most of the time, that is until parents get involved.

It sounds awful but I want my kids to fail.  Of course I don't set them up to fail but I want them to, here and there.   Failing teaches them life is not always going to turn out the way you want it to and that life is not always fair.  I think we as parents are the best example of showing our kids how to "bounce back" and do it with the right attitude.

Both of my boys play sports year round.  My youngest is still in it for the trophy and the party at the end but my oldest now is in it "to win".  We have taught him all along that winning does not feel as good unless you know what losing feels like.  I watch some of his teammates and opponents storm off the field when their team has lost, throwing fits like two year olds, it disgusts me to tell you the truth.  What are these parents teaching them?

During the Winter Olympics this year we as a family watched A LOT of the events, so exciting to see what a dedication to a sport can do.  But the one thing which impressed me the most was an interview with Apolo Ohno.  When asked what he thought when a call was made against him, (he had touched an opponent during the race and the official called it "pushing"),  Apolo simply stated he can't change the official's mind or the call, "it is what it is".  He said he leaves all regrets on the ice and walks away.  This is what we should be teaching our children when playing sports.  Play your best, learn from the game and walk away !

We are examples every day to our children on how to react to "life."  They learn from watching us and they are watching us all the time.  Teach them to be resilient, teach them to bounce with the bumps in life, and when they do fail teach them to get back up, brush it off and deal with it.