How young is too young for competion?

[Winterybella]

Quite recently I stumbled on a show called MasterChef Juniors or close enough. It was the first time I had seen the show. On this occasion the kids were cooking. It could just have easily been baking and that's why I brought it to the forum. I just know I was in time to cry with the two little girls who were sent home.

Some of these kids must have been seven or eight and were seemingly competing under the same pressure the adults are subjected to. What are your thoughts? Is it something you encourage at such a young age?

 

[DancingLady]

No, I think that's crazy. I think 14 is about the minimum appropriate age for serious competition. Let them get through elementary and middle school first. High school is already a place where competition in sports becomes more serious, so at that point they are not going to alone in it, their football and basketball friends are competing too. And being older, they will have more experience in life to be able to see that this isn't a life altering disaster if it doesn't go well.

 

[confettine]

I think that healthy competition is not bad -- the kind of competition where you encourage your kids to do your best, you cheer for them as well as for their "rivals", you tell them they did good and you're proud at the end, and you never let them feel that a "defeat" would be a failure.

But that's not too common these days, especially on TV... It should be more present, though, as it can teach your children so much about competing for yourself and respecting your rivals, and never giving up and thinking you are bad just because someone was better.

 

[Trellum]

I think I read somewhere that show was fake and scripted. I hope that is not true because I found it so entertaining, and thought it was so cool such a small children could cook those amazing things! Anyways, I just googled Master chef and ''fake'', a lot results came up, this is the one I picked: http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2...ke-ben-starr-gordon-ramsey-fakery-reality-tv/

 

[Winterybella]

It's such a shame if there are fake; such a shame. Yet I have to think that they must have some abilities after all. I still believe there is a down side to having children be involved in that "so call level of competition" and if you are saying it's all staged that makes it even worse. Not a way to get our children started in a "real" world.

 

[Trellum]

Yeah, I think they really do, specially the adults, the kids too, but I was so saddened to see things weren't the way they tried to show it on the TV show. Kinda sad was perfectly scripted, I felt kinda cheated after finding that out. Yes, they say it's all staged, they have interview a lot former participants.