It is almost always in the matter of games and competition that we hear the call of that’s not fair. We live in a society that winning is very important, so much so that sometimes there are those that will do almost anything to win, even to the detriment of their reputation or even health. It starts at an early age playing a board game, when the rules are not completely understood or there is an intense rivalry between players. Someone may be tempted to skirt the rules for the sake of “winning”.
When that happens it is not fair to the other players, and many times causes resentment among the competitors and most certainly create a situation that is not fun for others. In teaching fairness I believe that first we the parents must have a healthy attitude about competition. Our children learn from us “how important winning is”, and how we should react when we lose. We may have to reduce the amount of playing time we play individually as we work on our competitive attitude.
Here is a simple fact of life that all children must learn and adults need to remember. Life is hard, sometimes we will lose, and many times it will not seem fair. The sooner we teach our children that life is not just about being first, winning at all cost, and having more than others – the better prepared they will be for the real world, in a healthy way.
We do this by setting the example for them. Not comparing ourselves with others, or demonstrating a jealousy over what another family has or is doing. Fairness is not about competition, it is about getting what we need and deserve.