Competing Loyalties
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Parent Testimonial: “Reading and staying
focused was our biggest problem solved”

If you have more than one child, I’ll bet you’ve run into the following dilemma.

One child has a banner day, a winning game or a noteworthy performance, while your other child… um… well... bombs.

How do you let one child know how proud you are of her while reassuring the other child that she will do better next time?

I’ve had it easy up until now because my girls, Aimee and Melissa, are 5½ years apart.

But they have chosen the same sport, horseback riding, and there will come a time, soon, when they are competing directly against each other, instead of in different classes.

Even now they are competing in the same shows.

Sometimes one has a knockout day, while the other takes it on the chin.

I want to know how I celebrate a winning day with one child without upsetting the other.

And how do I reassure the struggling child without sounding patronizing?

At the same time, I want to teach my girls to cheer for each other when they win and support each other when they flop.

How do other parents handle this issue? How about families with two boys on the same baseball team or twins both playing soccer?

How do you deal with kids who have very different levels of talent? Or a younger child who passes up their older sibling in skills?

This is the reason we should be issued an operating manual with each child -- one that is customized to our kids and our families.

One with all the answers. All the correct answers.

Where can I get one of those?