sw!sshy.!. asked:


i just need it for my news in our newspaper at school.
i just need the name. and how you raise your child. like, if you need to adjust or whichever. thanks, by the way, how your parents help the genius child with their situations what do they do. and any suggestions how?

Michael Grose asked:


Some kids turn every activity into a competition, especially when their siblings are involved.



Getting into the car becomes a race for the front seat.



A backyard game of cricket suddenly morphs into a Test match.



Simple learning activities such as reading a book become a competition to find out who is the BEST.



This constant competition is tiring for parents, particularly mothers.

It usually leads to arguments and mind-numbing statements such as “I am better/smarter/faster/nicer than you!”

I recall hearing one of my kids tell her brother that thefamily dog loves her more than him. Good grief. You can’t argue with that!!!!

So where does kids’ competitiveness come from and what can we do about it?



Temperament plays a part. Some kids are just naturally more competitive and like to be the best. If they can’t be the best then they often won’t compete or do an activity.



Gender impacts as well. Due to their physiology boys tend to be more competitive than girls. The amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for emotional arousal and innate competitive spirit is about a sixth bigger in boys than girls. As many teachers know one way to get the best out of boys is to turn a simple learning activity into a quiz or game. Hey presto, they turned on the learning switch by introducing a competitive element.



Family position plays a part. You may notice that kids adjacent to each other in families tend to fight a little harder with each other for supremacy than they do with other kids. So two child families experience a lot of competition.



Family atmosphere contributes to competition. Some families are more competitive by nature than others. Parents can unwittingly turn simple activities into competitions with statements such as “let’s see who’s the best at…….”



Praise can contribute to competition. High praise parents are more likely to raise competitive kids as siblings compete with each other for parental approval. Encouragement, which focuses on the processes rather than the results of kids’ activities is the alternative to praise for parents who want to reduce sibling competition.

.  This aspect is more relevant than many parents realise. As a competitive person I have had to curtail my innate competitiveness when my kids were around. This meant being less overtly competitive than I wanted when watching, playing and talking about sport and focusing more on participation than on winning.  It also meant resisting turning every activity into a full-on, points-scoring, I’ll-beat-you game!!

Competitive role models impact as well



Is competition positive?

Sibling competition is part nature, part nurture. It has a positive place as it is often through competition that we improve and get better.

However in extreme cases it can make family-life hell for parents as competing kids refuse to cooperate with each other or always put each other down.

Kids grow into sibling competitiveness rather than out of it unless some changes are made.

Parents need to contain the competitiveness within their kids. There is a time and a place for competition just as there is a time and place for cooperation. In many ways, it is the true test of family leadership where parents develop a sense of ‘we’ within their family while welcoming some of the competitive elements in their kids.

And if children turn simple activities such as getting in the car into a race for the front seat then remove the competitive element as much as possible. That means insist the kids swap around, or even leave the front seat free if kids fight over it.

Strong, firm parental leadership that reminds kids about acceptable behaviours is always the best approach when kids behave inappropriately – especially when competition is driving the poor behaviour.

Jason Roberts asked:


It’s never too early to start teaching your kids about money. If you start teaching your kids about money early there is a much better chance that they will grow up being responsible with money and appreciating the value of money. Sometimes parents put off teaching their children about how to manage money when they are young because of a lack of understanding of how to begin.

When children are very young teaching them about money can be as simple as helping them learn to identify coins. You can even take your kids with you on shopping trips when they’re very young so they can start to get an idea of what money is used for.

When your children have reached elementary school age they’re probably old enough to start receiving a weekly allowance. It’s not important how much this allowance is. The important thing is that kids be taught how to use money wisely so as not to waste it. At the same time they can start to learn about giving to a local charitable group or church. If there is a new toy that your child wishes to own this can be a perfect time to explain to them the value of saving.

Taking your children with you when you go grocery shopping is another way to introduce them to the importance of managing money carefully. Allow them to help you in the process of comparing various products in order to determine the best buy.

As your kids get older there is also value in encouraging them to find ways to earn money by helping out around the house.

When your kids move into the teenage years is often best to start to tie their allowances to specific chores which they are required to do.

Teaching your children about money as they get older can also include: asking for their input with planning a budget for an upcoming vacation, requesting they help with grocery shopping, and encouraging them to complete their own tax returns if they have a job. Older teens can also learn a lot by obtaining a small installment loan and making regular payments. This way they can learn about why it’s important to budget for financial obligations. They will also build their credit in the process.

Teaching your kids about how to properly manage money when they’re young will help ensure they become more financially responsible as grown-ups.

Valkyrie™ asked:


regular or average kids??

Chester™ asked:


WTF? The first category this question was put in was the gay, ******* and transgendered section. What gives?

Thank God For Mommy- asked:


In the case of Michael Phelp’s winning 8 Golds at the Olympics. One asks: Are parents turning genius children into medicated-drugged ‘normal children’? Maybe those ‘ADD children are really the one’s with the creativity, energy, and overzealous behavior, that just might be champions.