Dotty should have the genetic makeup of a fierce competitor. The Nichols were all great in sports and like to compete. My dad was never fond of losing at anything. Mom was a cheerleader (enough said there).
Tony is still competitive to this day. I like to win, but I also like for everyone to just get along so I don't have that "killer" attitude like some do.
Dotty is definitely a competitor by birth. She does not like to lose and she is not above cheating in order to win (rules get changed quite a bit when you play with Dotty).
I have been trying to teach her that sometimes you win and sometimes you lose...but it is always how you play the game that matters...no matter what the game is...and you should always just try to have fun.
This morning I was attempting to teach Dotty that lesson yet again. She got up at 6am so we had time to kill. We started playing Candy Land. When I won the second game Dotty threw a huge fit, complete with tears, screams, and fist flying.
I (being the calm and understanding mom that I am) told her that if she couldn't play nice then I would not play with her again. I took the game and hid it from her. (Perhaps not the best teaching tool but I still had to get ready and I was short on time.)
More tears, more screams, more fists flying.
Some day I am sure I will cheer on that competitive spirit but today was not that day. I want my kid to know that winning isn't everything. Games (all kinds) are meant to teach us life lessons and to build character. At 4 years old Dotty has a ways to go. I just hope she grows out of this stage. If not, her high school years might be filled with lots of technicals and possibly some game suspensions.
Side Note: I never got T-ed up. Tony on the other hand cannot say that. :)
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