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How to Help Kids Cope When Their Favorite Team Loses http://ift.tt/2wKgOD6 Let Deadspin’s Drew Magary tell it: your kid’s favorite NFL team sucks. Which means it’s almost certain they’ll take an L at some point this upcoming season. Take it from another long-suffering Vikings fan, when it comes to losses, there’s gradation to devastation. Especially-crushing defeats, like last year’s Falcons surrendering a 25-point lead in the Super Bowl (or the ‘98 Vikings freaking flubbing a NFC-clinching field goal), can be particularly shattering to children since they haven’t matured enough to gain perspective. Advertisement However, there are things you can do to brighten their mood following a heartbreaker. Here’s how to help your kid cope after their favorite team suffers a notably tough loss: Remember The Pain and EmpathizeAge has (hopefully) made shrugging off a tough loss easier for you than it is for your kid, so try to remember why their reaction may seem dramatic.
Saying “I know how it feels,” and sharing an anecdote about a tough loss you watched as a kid lets them know that though they’re upset, they’re not alone, and things will be all right. Get Them Active and Engage in ImaginationExercise always seems to work its endorphin magic, so if your kids are blue following a defeat, suggest going outside to toss an actual pigskin around. Advertisement The other benefit to that? Backyard sports are a canvas of athletic imagination and revenge: a place where real-life rivals are vanquished, and the good guys always manage to conjure up last-second glory. Hell, the Vikings are undefeated and have won several hundred Super Bowls on my childhood turf. Point Out the Fallacy of CursesOne of the most refreshing aspects of being a fan is the enduring optimism that comes with it. You have to believe that the next play, the next game, and the next season will go your way. Advertisement Even when streaks of bad bounces stretch on for decades, curses aren’t real and time is the only truly infallible opponent. It’s what supplies fans with their ability to endure the sucky seasons. However unlikely, eventually even the most downtrodden franchises slay their demons and seize the moment, at which point any accumulated suffering makes the payoff that much sweeter (*Vikings flashbacks*) ... right? If your kid seems resigned to pessimism, point to real-life examples of historic losers defying expectations. There are lots to choose from recently. Remind Them of the Bigger PictureSports are, at their best, awesome, triumphant and fun. To paraphrase former Chief Justice Earl Warren, “The sports page records people’s accomplishments. The front page has nothing but man’s failures.” Advertisement Of course, Mr. Warren fails to account for fans of the players trying to stop said accomplishments. There’s nothing celebratory about getting posterized. Yet, despite ridiculous budgets, edgy posturing of star athletes, and the shiny, hype-revving veneer, athletic accomplishments largely stem from a pretty trivial premise: humans playing games with inanimate objects of varying shape. Also, remember that most of sports’ most iconic moments owe their influence to factors beyond a game’s outcome. So, after a loss, remind your kid that their self-worth and identity are comprised of much more than the emotional sting of a lone match. In short: ball is life, but it’s also only a game. Gadget News via Lifehacker http://lifehacker.com August 24, 2017 at 03:41PM
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