"Winners" and "Loosers"

Last month our youngest family member worked very hard to compose a song for the PTA Reflection "Contest". (Some of you might have heard it.) This is the recognition he (and every other participant) received. Doesn't it make you feel all warm and fuzzy. There were no "winner" and therefore no "non-winners". (See how politically correct I can be.)

What is wrong with people? Are we so worried that someone will feel "bad" that all competition should be eliminated? What an awful way to prepare our children for life.

Success and failure give us a chance to learn and develop character, which will benefit us our whole lives not just make us feel good for a moment. I want to teach my son that he has value regardless of his abilities.

There are MANY people who are better than me at MANY different things. That does not mean that I am less valuable. Or that just because I am not the best, I should give-up. That no one will like me unless I am perfect. Or if I work really hard at something I will always win. It means I can fail and I will still be alright. It means I am loved because of who I am, not how I measure up to someone else. And that when I succeed my friend and family rejoice with me.

Apparently this Reflections "Contest" isn't a useful tool for building character. Instead it demonstrated that A. my son is too weak to handle disappointment and/or B. that great art work should not be celebrated. Either way I think my son ended up "loosing" after all.