Evening star., 1939-05-17
Teach Child
Etiquette
.OfLOser
A Failure Demands
Smile and Will
To Try Again
BY ANGELO PATRI.

John Thomas is a bright child
Right from the start this was evil
dent and, of course, his father and
mother were not dspleased about
that. He learned everything quickly
and perhaps father and mother
praised him highly for every accom-
plishment so that he felt he must be
right as often as possible I think
may be he formed that notion early
and got to believing that winning
and being first meant all the differ
ence in life to him. If he did not
win, he failed, and failure was an
awful thing because it meant no
applause.
BY and by John Thomas went to
school, public school, where
every little boy and girl stood on
their own, and each did his and her
best to outshine the other fellow.
That is the way of little children,
and it is healthy enough way if
groWn-ups do not get into the bat
tie. Children give and take, win
and lose, as matter of course, if no
adult thought enters into the matter,
but you see, that thought had al
ready been set in John Thomas. He
must win or father and mother
would wonder why he had not been
his usual bright self.
Sometimes John Thomas did not
get 100 per cent on his paper. He
got 95. Down went his head on his
arms and down came the tears. The
children looked at him in wonder,
tinged with pity, and his teacher
Said why John Thomas, it is no
disgrace to get 95. You can't be a
hundred per cent all the time" But
there was no comfort for John
Thomas that day. He did not win
so he had failed. No in-between
for him.
1t was bad enough in the class
room, but when he got to the play
ground, and entered contest, and
lost, it was tragic, for him. He got
IN second. The teacher announced
Rachel Bondy, first; John Thomas
second" For an instant John
Thomas could not believe this could
happen to him. Beaten. And the
| cheers for someone else. Impossi-
BILE! He dissolved into tears, floods
OF tears, and could not stop them
no matter how hard he tried.
The children. hard young hearts
that they are, turned their backs on
him as a "bad sport" and the teach
er said, Come now, John Thomas,
you must not let them see you cry
because you lost. That isn't the way
boys do. Shake hands with Rachel
and tell her you're glad she won-'
Rachel quickly thrust out her
hand, but John Thomas couldn't see
for the tears, and he was led of the
grounds to be sent home to his
mother.
No child enjoys losing a race, but
as only one child can win they must
all learn to lose cheerfully, and to
determine to try again. + don't be-
lieve in doing away with games that
call for contests of mind and body
speed and skill and accuracy. Life
is one long contest and school, If it
Is for one idea more than any other
in educating children, stands for
preparing mind and body for that
contest. Train the group and may
the best man win.
The loser has to be taught the
etiquette of his position. Nobody
believes for moment that the loser
is really glad the other man won,
but we believe in bowling to the
winner, in congratulating him, while
reserving the right to determine to
beat him next time If 1t takes q leg.
Training in good sportsmanship
begins, as all other forms OF train
ing should begin, early, with the first
trial and the first failure. Smile and
try again.