How do you make sure your child is a good winner? © RexForget our football teams, thanks to the efforts of Team GB during the Olympics, the UK suddenly has to get used to actually winning things, rather than playing our usual role of dignity in defeat.
And after witnessing the humility and grace with which so many of the Team GB athletes accepted their medals or losses, it brings home how vital it is for our children to learn to win and lose with equal dignity.
[Related article: Five signs your child could be an Olympic athlete]
So how do you make sure you child is a good winner?
We asked Yahoo! parents for their top tips and put together this handy guide.
1. Lead by example
I was brought up on the old "do as I say not as I do" maxim, but it never really cut it with me; after all, if your parents can't even follow their own advice, why should you?
Mendy P agrees:
"My daughter sees her dad come home from badminton each week with good news or bad, but she always sees him happy that he tried hard and respectful of his opponents. It would be awful if he came in gloating or mocking his friends." – Mendy P
2. Set personal bests
Personal bests featured a lot in this year's Olympics - with world record holder David Rudisha pushing every single runner in the 800m to a personal best.
David Cameron has already spoken about how schools need to start encouraging children to break their own personal bests, but you can already instill that in your kids by helping them to keep a tally of their times or results and compete against that rather than against others.
[Related article: What the Olympics can teach your child]
"I try really hard not to focus on the winning or losing with my son. He does a lot of competitive sports and I want him to understand that it's about pushing himself on to greater things rather than just coming first. That way, whether he wins or loses, he can focus on his own goals rather than worrying about other people". – Andrew L
3. Teach them that winning is about hard work
"I've tried to ensure that George tries his hardest and understands that if he loses there is always another go. I really want him to understand that other people are better because they have put in more effort; that he should be gracious and kind – and enjoy others' successes. And because he knows how it feels to lose, he is learning to be gracious in victory too." Cara L
4. It's not the winning, it's the taking part
Having your own "personal best" system is one way to teach children about the value of personal goals, but they also need to learn that taking part is important. After all, you can't lose if you never try.
[Related article: Why every child should learn to swim]
"We've had to teach Lia it's not okay to say 'nah nah na nah nah I won!' Very embarrassing! We explained about others' feelings and she now says it doesn't matter if you win or lose it matters if you take part. Luckily, that's re-enforced at school too." C. Magee
5. Smile though your heart is breaking
"My daughter is very competitive and she's good at sport. She really wants to win! She kept having tantrums and storming off when she lost, which was the last thing we wanted! In the end, I told her that she was only allowed to give vent to her anger or sadness when she was alone with her family. If anyone else is around, she has to grit her teeth and smile. I reminded her that if she behaved like a brat, people would remember that long after they'd forgotten if she won or lost. I showed her some old YouTube clips of John McEnroe which helped to prove the point!" – Sam C
What are your top tips for teaching your children to be good winners? Share your best advice, or tell us your worst experiences in the comments below!
