i.e. he had surpassed his boy's own stellar performance.Maxxsacrifice wrote:He did have the track record until my car ran
My reply was as follows:
I appreciate the general tone of this board with respect to the "it's for the boys (and girls)" emphasis and would appreciate any feedback you guys have on the approach I have described above (or any "bewares").Go Bubba Go wrote:Mrs. Bubba and I have the occasional "philosophy" discussion on this subject. She thinks I am too hard on the kids, and need to "let them win" more often.
I find myself frequently (there's a bit of a competitive streak in our family) riding that fine line, trying not to discourage them by "whoopin' up" on them, but not dumbing things down to rob them of the chance of a meaningful victory and the chance to learn that real success requires real dedication.
Up to about 5 years of age, they "win" regularly at all sorts of games. As they get older and smarter (and cagier), I raise the bar and the victories become more rare (and more meaningful) for them.
Now that the kids are getting older and beginning to really challenge Dear Old Dad, I think she is starting to see the benefits of making them stretch for a real victory. They spank her pretty regularly at Chess, I think that if I don't soon pick up a book on the subject they may soon surpass me also.
It's hard to explain the mixed emotions (pride, shock, embarrassment, pride) I had when my 10 year old recently stumped me on a vocabulary word. (Defenestration - I had to look it up)
When it comes to PWD, for now I'm still the king. Video games, well that's another story...
One of the things I have been doing recently is following up on victories (Chess, PWD, etc.) by explaining (usually by prompting with questions) how exactly I managed to pull out the win. As I keep handing over all my "secrets", the competition is getting pretty tough.
Any other thoughts?