TIP of the WEEK: Winning the Game

Many parents ask us how to manage their child’s strong feelings about losing. Some kids with PWS struggle with games where there is a clear winner, either games they play themselves or games that involve their favorite sports team. Some parents manage this by making sure that their kids win board games that they play together. Others tell their kids that their favorite sports team won even if they didn’t. Here is my tip on taking this approach- don’t.

We all want to increase our kids self esteem and we want to shield them from disappointment but the truth is, that is not always possible. Teams lose, people lose and everyone moves on and hopefully learns something along the way. Don’t go out of your way to protect your child from disappointment or from losing. The earlier they learn that not every game will end in their favor the easier transitions, school, jobs, and relationships will be later in life.

Patrice Carroll is Latham Centers’ world-renowned Prader-Willi Syndrome specialist. She works with Latham Centers’ residents with PWS, their families and consultants, continuously learning and teaching about PWS best practices.