Helping Your Child Handle a Chess Loss

Let’s face it… losing isn’t easy, especially when you’re a kid who just played your heart out on the chessboard. Fortunately, loosing can be a great thing for personal growth- but how do you go about getting your child to realize that?

Below are some ways to help your child understand that losing is okay, and that playing well is just as much of a success as winning is.

 

Reframe Losing As Learning

A loss is a chance to grow, but kids are going to need some guidance to see it. After a loss, be sure to ask your child what they feel they did well first, and then what they want to try to do differently next time based on the game they just played.

 

Celebrate Small Victories

It’s so important that you don’t only praise your child when they win. Be sure to acknowledge and celebrate the small successes along the way, whether that’s a clever strategy they used or when you see their perseverance pay off.  

 

Be a Good Model

Children pick up on the feelings of the adults in their lives – so how you handle a loss can influence their reactions too. If your child notices you getting really upset when things go wrong, they’ll likely respond in a similar way. However, if you stay composed when things take a turn for the worse, it will help them learn to stay calm as well.

 

Keep It Fun

Chess should be fun, and when kids associate chess with joy, they’re more likely to keep trying and keep playing. You can balance your child’s time playing chess with variation games or silly challenges to keep the feeling at home playful and lighthearted.

 

When we teach kids to embrace setbacks and losses as learning opportunities, we set them up for long-term confidence, strength, and success – skills that go way beyond the board.