POOR SPORT

Joey is a poor sport.


She loves to race. She loves to beat you. She loves winning. 
She cannot stand to lose. 


It is more then just running; we're Cravens, we can turn ANYTHING into a competition.
We race to see who can finish their bath/shower first.
Who can finish dinner first.
(Of course in the car.)


But us Cravens don't have to win to have fun. (I very rarely win a trivia game against Mark, but playing is still fun.) The fun lies in the game itself, in trying your best, in the thrill of the competition. (Mark is a Craven in this conversation, because he doesn't come from a game playing or competitive family. But he still beats me at swimming and once, literally, ran circles around me, in flip flops, while drinking a beer and running around the lake with me. He's got it in him and can totally bring it!)


So Mark and I are trying to teach Joey how to be a good sport, and this is one of the hardest lessons yet.
She totally has a meltdown if Mommy beats her to the front door when we race back from the park. 
And Joey doesn't have meltdowns, she is such a good girl, so it was a total shock to us the first time.


So she is learning to say "Good job Daddy!" and give a high five, if Daddy beats her at something.
I'm being very careful NOT to say anything about being fair, or someone else's turn. 
I am NOT a trophy-for-every-kid kinda person. 
A kid or team that comes in first deserves to be treated special, they are first. You as a parent, need to teach your kid that came in second or third about good sportsmanship. You can also always find something they excel in; we're all not good at the same things.
The truth is, sometimes someone is faster then you, no matter how much you try.
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, just keep trying.