From the moment of birth every baby is pitted against another. Baby photo contests are popular. And in families of more than one child, each child is compared to the other in some way, especially in their academic performance. School is no longer about fun and learning and making friends. It is about securing one of the limited spaces available at particular colleges or at the top in any field.
Competition interferes with our natural capacity to build good relationships.
If there are six of us and only four spaces available it becomes very difficult for us to work co-operatively and be concerned about each other s welfare. As parents, we have had experiences with our children having to compete in science fairs or projects at school. Even young children have had to devise tricks to win. Most of the tricks involved denying their own friends the same opportunities, hiding information or material from each other. Those who naturally do well academically or appear to have some talent will not be subjected to the pressures placed on children by competition.