From the time children are young, they face situations that elevate a few and eliminate most. Preschool children play games like dodgeball — if you’re hit, you’re out. Even games such as musical chairs teach there is only one winner and lots of losers.
As children grow older, they encounter first chair in orchestra, all-stars in baseball, spelling bees and even church Bible drills all with the same message: There are only a few winners.
What must parents do? Caz McCaslin, founder of a national ministry called Upward Basketball, says that no matter what your child’s bent — sports-oriented or artistic, shy or aggressive, leader or follower — your child is a winner.
“A winner is somebody who is learning and/or teaching lessons in the game of life,” Caz says. “This may or may not involve sports. At Upward, basketball is our tool to develop character, raise self-esteem and lead to salvation. But there are ways to do this everyday at home, too.”
1. Let
your child know God loves him.
“Every child needs to understand that even if he was the only child on earth, Jesus would still have come and died for him,” Caz says. “That basic truth is the foundation for bringing out the winner in our children.”
2. Be patient as you seek character-building opportunities.
“When your children make mistakes, seize the moment to instill character,” Caz suggests. “Turn every situation into something positive, a learning experience for your children. Learning is winning.”
3. Set up situations to ensure victory.
As they learn or teach something, help children to feel good about themselves. “Start wherever they are and give them an attainable goal,” Caz says.
“The word is is emphasized not because every child might be a winner or every child could be a winner. Every child already is a winner — God made him or her that way! Our responsibility as parents is to draw it out.”
— Linda Gilden
Visit www.upward.com for information about Upward Basketball.
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