We are all winner bollocks

[thebody]

So it's sports day. Take mindees and watch, lovely atmosphere and of course lovely weather.

She ran her heart out and won, she came first, cue me whooping and clapping and big well done hug.

Medals given out and EVERYONE gets one.!!!

So her little victory( and she very shy) is not applauded or acknowledged by the school in any way.

I am for teaching children that sometimes you dont win, sometimes you do. I think it's Important to teach children to win or loose( yes loose the race) with grace.

Aibu

but she came first in front of the whole school - that's a lot of kudos!

No YANBU. It would have been nicer if all the children got a token and the winner got a medal.
That way all the childrens efforts are rewarded and the winning child gets to celebrate their moment of glory.

A think a taking-part certificate for those who lose and a medal for the winner is a nice idea. I think a special thing for the winner is fair enough. But I like the idea of being acknowledged for taking part, too.

Btw, it's lose rather than loose. Loose is the opposite of tight.

Yep the "everyone is a winner" thing, even when you come last, is a pile of pants - it does not equip our children for the real world.

I agree with you OP. The idea of being able to lose with grace is a good one. Not everyone can be a 'winner' all the time. Certificates for anyone who took part would be far enough in my book.

Learning to be a gracious winner and good loser is one of life's great lessons.

Competitive sports are fantastic, my kids compete most weeks in their sport and they are super winers and losers, they have learnt that you win some, you lose some. And that is life.
People who haven't learnt this lesson tend to be those miserable woe is me types or spoilt brats.

Totally agree with the OP, the quicker children learn that sometimes you win , sometimes you loose the better. If not when they are young, when? We are all good at something, but very few are good at everything. We should teach our children to win and loose graciously.

'People who haven't learnt this lesson tend to be those miserable woe is me types or spoilt brats.'
based on...?

Ajobforlife May I politely refer you to Psammead's post?

Grammar aside, I agree with you OP.

DS1 won at his school when in reception and was chuffed when he was given a rosette with WINNER in the centre. He looked at it as declared "so if mine says winner, does everyone else's say loser???" he couldn't understand why since he won the race everyone got a winner's rosette.

It's now 6 years later, and he is at a different school with a different ethos.

It does annoy me as in class, if a child gets 12 out of 12 they are rewarded, the school does not reward everyone in the class no matter if they 1 or 12 out of 12.

YANBU. It's unrealistic for the real world. No problem acknowledging others who have taken part, but the victor should have their emblem of glory :)

I don't think it's unrealistic. You don't have to be the best at something to do well in life, but you do have to make your best effort.

Robot, based on life, same kids who expect a present at every shopping trip.

Psmaaead thank for spelling correction, I phone, but it's great we have such helpful posters, were you a school prefect by any chance?

Some children will never get to win at sports day- I never did and doubt my children will. I like that at the age of 5 and 7 it is not all about winning

No one loses at our sports days either, no one wins, it's just taking part.

Yet they get certificates for doing the best work, best behaved, best attendance etc.

It's always baffled me that sports are the only non competitive thing in the school

YANBU

I am sure in the olympics the winner gets gold, no?

I can't stand all this non-competetive crap tbh.

Poor kid

Yanbu but I can understand it.

As a child with no athletic ability whatsoever, I regularly felt shit when I always came last and never got a medal or trophy, and there was nothing I could do - it wasn't for lack of trying or practice.

YANBU

But then I won everything at Sports Day so I came home with lots of medals and prizes . I was so good it became embarrassing

Totally agree. My DS's whole school career was tainted by this. As a non-academic, sporty child his achievements were never recognised.

Every school event and sports day everyone was a winner! What a heap of big steaming shite.

Even at 5 "mum, If I won the race how come everyone got 100 points? Even Ben who was sick that day?"

I say this as a woman who was not sporty as a child but clever and able in the classroom. I was a big at loser at sport.

Watford exactly, for some children it's their only chance of coming first.

Watford exactly, for some children it's their only chance of coming first.

Go to live in Australia, this would never happen there! (i hope)

But Eric at 5 and 7 kids have spelling tests and reading aloud and all the kids know who gets the 10 out of 10.

YANBU. I think this does not equip children for the real world. I was rubbish at sport and didn't ever win a medal, but I still don't think that means everyone should get one. Anyway I was good at other stuff hmm, maybe I wasn't, but it did push me to try harder.

You are right and not unreasonable