“Participation award! Participation award! They don’t just give these out to anybody!” The irony of this catchy tune from a show my kids used to watch wasn’t lost on my family. We’ve quietly sung this song regularly over the years as we watch, on many occasions, kids get handed just that: medals for simply being present. My kids have always understood that competition is not only healthy, it is necessary.
I wanted my kids to understand that we win when businesses compete. And that competition is about price, selection and quality. There are so many tangible examples to give young children regarding competition. We started with really concrete ideas like explaining that our favorite ice cream shop is so amazing because of the competition they have right around the corner. The competition requires them to go above and beyond to keep customers returning. In this case, they offered unique toppings (like goldfish), delicious dairy-free options and 3 zany flavors each week in addition to their classics.
There are surprisingly easy ways to make competition in the marketplace an easily understood concept for even young children. It’s just as easy to explain why competing against one another brings out the best in people, as well. If multiple young men want to be the pitcher of a local little league team, several will work their hardest for the try-outs and the best will ultimately pitch for the team, making for a great season. Similarly, it wouldn’t be a big deal to gain the lead in a school production if it was simply handed to someone—it’s the common knowledge that most kids probably wanted the lead and only one earned it, that makes it impressive (and by default made every kid better in the process of rehearsing for the audition of the lead).
Our competition box celebrates and encourages competition, requiring kids to pick a specific goal and competitor and setting them up to create a practice plan and exact date of competition. And, unlike many organizations these days, ONLY the winner gets the medal in our competition!
So as we enter the new year, consider raising new youth—youth that appreciate and even look forward to some healthy competition! No time like the New Year to set some goals!