Children and Competition

1
Children and Competition

• Welcome
• Case 1
• Perspective 1
• Perspective 2
• Perspective 3
• Case 2
• Perspective 1
• Perspective 2
• Perspective 3
• Perspective 4
• Conclusion

Is competition good or bad for children?
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Case 1
Peter got a miniature violin for his fifth
birthday and began taking lessons. He loved
playing and progressed rapidly. When he was six,
his teacher decided that Peter should play in a
competition. She chose a very difficult piece
which Peter had to practice for half an hour
twice a day. After several weeks, Peter had the
music memorized, but sometimes had trouble
playing one small portion of it. On the day of
the contest, Peter was very nervous. He played
well, but completely forgot the music when he
reached the problem spot. He stopped playing,
started over, and got stuck again in the same
spot. The third time, he managed to play the
piece to the end. However, he was very humiliated
by having forgotten the music.
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Case1 Perspective 1 Peter
I love playing the violin! Im good at it too! I
felt special that my teacher chose a difficult
piece for me. I dont have any free time because
I have to practice so much. My family and friends
complain that they dont see much of me
anymore. I was soooo nervous. I almost peed my
pants! It felt really good when I finished and
everybody applauded.
4
Case 1 Perspective 2 Teacher
Peter is such a good student! He is eager to
progress and is willing to practice long hours to
excel. I knew that Peter would rise to the
challenge of a more difficult piece. I have a
responsibility to help him grow. Peters parents
want to see progress for the money they are
paying me. Peters progress may spur my other
students to progress more rapidly.
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Case 1 Perspective 3 Parents
We were so embarrassed when Peter messed up
twice! What will our friends think? Their kids
were perfect. I couldnt believe that he started
over twice! That really took nerve. I couldnt
have done that. Hes worked so hard. All he ever
does is practice his friends dont come over any
more. I wish we hadnt bought that thing. Peter
had a goal and he worked hard to accomplish it.
He made us so proud!
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Case 2
Five-year-old Jennie decided she wanted to play
soccer, so she joined a park district team. The
girls on Jennies team were undefeated and won
the league tournament. All the team members were
excited and boastful about their record. They
often made negative comments about how bad the
other teams were. Many of the other teams
players resented the members of Jennies team.
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Case 2 Perspective 1 Jennie
It feels great to be on a winning team! We are so
Good! The other teams stank! Well kick butt
again next year. Some of my friends at school
wont talk to me any more. They called us poor
sports. Even my best friend dumped me. Shes
soooo fickle!
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Case 2 Perspective 2 Coach
My girls really worked hard! They practiced all
the time. They really showed that being a team
player pays off. Ive never had a team that was
so dedicated. It did take a lot of my time
though. My family complained that they never saw
me. The parents were really pushy, too. We had to
haul one parent off the field for assaulting the
referee.
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Case 2 Perspective 3 Parent
I was really proud when my daughters team won
the tournament! She was so happy! She was
practicing all the time though. Her school work
suffered and we never saw her. All of our family
activities had to be planned around her schedule.
Im really glad that it is over. Im not sure
that I want her to play again next year.
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Case 2 Perspective 4 Losing Teams
Who do they think they are? They just happened to
get all the talent on one team. I wouldnt want
to be on their team anyway! They are are the
worst losers Ive ever seen! They really arent
that good anyway, it was just luck. The referee
is blind!
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Conclusion
Parenting is not an easy job. They are
responsible for the health and safety of their
children. It is not always easy to balance the
positive and negative effects of competition.
Create a checklist for parents to use in
evaluating the effects of competition in their
childs life.
For more information http//www.ncpamd.com/Compet
ition.htm http//www.nncc.org/Child.Dev/child6_12.
html http//www.nncc.org/Child.Dev/aggression.html
http//www.nncc.org/Guidance/cope.stress.html