What Does This Mean?

[Workno]

What does the term “self handicapping” mean? What does it mean when you say that adults should self handicap when playing with the kids?

[Old_Geezer]

Presumably it means making things difficult for yourself; like tying your feet behind you back, maybe.

[barry1010]

Giving the children a fair chance, giving them a head start in a race, standing further back from a target, giving them time to work out the answers.

[Vagus]

Or even when playing something like ‘snap’ with a very young child, being slow off the mark to see the ‘snap’ to allow child a little more time so they don’t get bored.

[Workno]

Barry1010, I don’t children have just as much of a chance as the grown-up they are playing with? So what’s the need for self handicapping?

So it’s just grown-ups going easy on children and letting them Win? Wouldn’t it be a fair chance for everyone if it was played the exact same for both individuals?

[bednobs]

well it's a personal choice i suppose. Children wouldlose interest pretty quickly if they were playing with someone who was always faster/stronger/bettr than them. Not a sport but i play scrabble with my daughter. I let her count the points scored in a different way to if i was playing with an equal because i want her to keep playing, getting better so she can eventually beat me without the handicap. She doesn't know she is practicing maths, spelling and vocab, she just knows we are playing together. If she never won, she would no longer play

[Cloverjo]

I assume you’re winding us up.

In case you’re not: do you think it would be a fair contest if a grown man played cricket or rugby with a small child without going easy? Not much fun for the child. It’d end in tears.

[ToraToraTora]

11:15, so you try the same when playing football with a 5 year old as you do when it's another adult? right oh!

[Workno]

CloverJo, I’m not trying to stir anything up. I’m just trying to understand.

So during play wrestling, arm wrestling, basketball, etc. you’re supposed to let the kid win every time?

[bednobs]

no. see barry's first answer

[calmck]

You teach children that winning or losing in a game happens to grown ups and kids. They learn to accept that they will not always win and hopefully not have a temper tantrum if they lose

[chelle7272]

//you’re supposed to let the kid win every time?//

Not sure why you keep repeating that when no one has said that at all!

As everyone else has said....it's about adjusting the game to level the playing field a little to keep children engaged.

[Hopkirk]

It's what Boris should have done

[Old_Geezer]

Just play it "by ear"; much as Boris was caught doing above.