[derefr]

Okay, "let them win" might have been a bit hyperbolic. Instead, how about this: handicap yourself so you are always a surmountable challenge. People learn best when winning is "just" a matter of putting all their effort into something and being ingenuitive. If something's below this level, they aren't learning much, and if it's above this level, the challenge seems insurmountable, and so http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learned_helplessness kicks in.

[pubbins]

This is the approach I try to take. I explained it poorly, but that's what I meant when I said "setup situations where they can win". But just letting them win so they don't have to feel sad about losing? Not with me.

One of my boys will call a foot race to the car when he's close enough to where he thinks he can beat me. When he says go, I'm coming full tilt. Or when we practice baseball I'll set up a contest - hit a ball past me and we go for ice cream.