Going easy on kids. Should we or should we not?

Heard a very interesting decision on radio about going easy on kids in competition.

For example if you are playing soccer with kids or playing scrabble, will u go-easy on him/her to let them ‘win’ (even in bits)? does this give them wrong sense of their own skill level? They can become the target of shame/insult from other kids due to this miscalculation.

OR

you think, its OK to go easy as this motivates kids more instead of them losing the game and dumping it altogether.

How do you personally find the balance?

Re: Going easy on kids. Should we or should we not?

I would take the middle road. I would be easy enough to encourage them, but tough enough for them to try to improve.

Re: Going easy on kids. Should we or should we not?

I was going easy with my 3 year old. But then one day I find that he does not like losing. He cried so much because I had won.
So now I am trying to teach him that it is ok to not win sometimes and there is nothing wrong with it. He still cries when he loses.

Re: Going easy on kids. Should we or should we not?

well we just play whatever we are playing fair and square. if he wins he wins.. if he loses he loses. i dont go out of my way to lose so he wins.. how gay is that?!

one of our first games was.. who finishes their food first.. in desi words.. first kaun ayega :D... even if he was the only one playing (eating) haha...

he never got it.. but lately he has understood what it means... so if i finish my food first .. he goes *mein bhi abhi first anay wala hu na? * .. i would usually say yes yes.. quick. finish your food.. but now ive stopped doing that.... u wanna come first.. finish your food before somebody else does

he could care less. its aggrevating cuz this trick usually works on kids.. but at the same time.. im happy cuz he isnt competetive in everything. he just laughs after a lost game and walks off :D

or maybe he is too young.. (3 yrs old)

Re: Going easy on kids. Should we or should we not?

I play fair and square with kids and boy am I majorly disliked or what.

Re: Going easy on kids. Should we or should we not?

My baby is still young for playing yeah but when she l grow up I l have meddle road like TLK said :)

Re: Going easy on kids. Should we or should we not?

It depends...

munchkins principal gave all of us a really good tactic on teaching them about losing and winning--> Playing Snakes and Ladders.

Initially, munchkin couldnt understand why she would lose at times and we would win, but then after 2-3 games she realised it was just a game. Plus, if she said "bismillah" enough times before rolling the dice, just maybe she'd land on a ladder and not a snake :)

Also, it depends on what we're teaching/playing.