Knowing your child's temperament helps you find the most effective ways to teach sportsmanship and values. Kids break down into four main personality types, says Joel Fish, PhD, author of 101 Ways to Be a Terrific Sports Parent: emotional, conscientious, aggressive, and social. (While most kids will have a combination of a few of these, usually one dominates.) If you can identify which one your child is, then you know what you most need to work on when you teach sportsmanship:
- For an emotional child, focus on teaching him how to calm down and lighten up. Help him notice how his body reacts when he's upset (clenched muscles, shallow breathing) and together, brainstorm ways to respond (counting to 10, deep breaths, a brisk walk).
- For a conscientious child, aim to help her differentiate between striving for perfection and perfectionism. Talk about setting positive goals for how to improve, instead of allowing too much focus on the negative.
- For an aggressive child, make consequences clear. Show him where the line is, and what the response will be if he crosses it. (Then follow up if he does break a rule.)
- For a social child, use peer pressure to your advantage. Stress the value of cooperating with her teammates, and remind her that they can help her stay positive if she's feeling down.
