5 Benefits of Watching World Cup With Kids

With the ongoing World Cup 2022 happening in Qatar, Soccer may be one of the trending sports nowadays. In fact, according to the 2019 Gallup survey, soccer has overtaken hockey to become the 4th most popular sport in America. For parents who are fans of the World Cup, did you know that our kids can learn something from watching this sport with us? Let us check out the benefits our kids can get from watching sports like World Cup 2022.

1. Learning about losing

One thing that kids can learn when watching this sport is about losing. It is okay to be competitive and determined to win, but in every game, we are not always winners; sometimes, we lose, and that is okay. Younger kids may have difficulty regulating their feelings, they may not understand what fairness and empathy are. They may burst into tears when they lose. As a parent, we can teach them that it is okay to cry and it is also okay to celebrate those who won. We can teach them that they can accept defeat like the professional players of the World Cup and that they can always do better next time. Losing may not be fun, but they must know it is part of life. Learning how to regulate their feelings is essential for their social-emotional development.

2. Working as a team

We must teach them that there is no one-man play in a sports team. There is a better outcome when players help each other and work as a team. Our kids need to learn teamwork as it can be applied in their future daily adult lives. Teamwork helps develop skills like communication, self-confidence, listening to others, sharing ideas, and increasing socialization. Having the said skills can make them grow into happier, successful adults. Working with a team can make your kids feel they belong and learn to care and stand up for others.

3. Influencing them to love sports

Watching the World Cup with your kids or other sports can help them develop their love for it. And when they learn to love it, they become fans and can talk to other kids and adults who love the sport. Having a favorite team or player can make them feel they are part of a community with the same likes, which is important for their socialization, especially when a kid is shy. Having the same love of sports can also be a common ground or an icebreaker if they get to interact with other kids.

Other than being a fan, loving a particular sport can make them try the real sport and develop their skills. This can help them be active and fit, which has a lot of benefits for their entire social, mental and physical well-being.

4. Spending time together

Watching the World Cup promotes family bonding. It helps build memories. One day, your child will remember the fun times you watched together as a family. Those fun memories will last a lifetime and develop a strong bond with each family member.

Remember that we must be more positive and aware of our comments when watching the sport since kids listen to what we say. We can praise or cheer players on what they do, discuss with our kids how players train and work hard to play, how the officials of the game work, and many more. They will be able to understand how to play the sport and eventually become interested in joining one.

5. We have different strengths

Like the World Cup players, each of us has our own strengths and weaknesses. We can teach our kids that it's alright if you cannot do things others can because we have different skills and talents. Each of us is unique. One should not feel insecure about others; hence one should learn from them. For example, if your kid is good in Math and her classmate needs help, your child can share his/her skills to help the other kid. It's like working with a team, all players will be able to utilize their strengths and weaknesses by relying on each other.