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12YO Calls Sister’s BF “Mentally Disabled” After Always “Losing” To Him, Gets A Reality Check
As children, when we understand the concept of winning, it gets kinda addictive and we love to win everything. Unfortunately, when they are unable to taste victory, some kids might throw a fit, and I think Dudley from Harry Potter falls in this category as he was mollycoddled a lot.
The original poster (OP) also came across his girlfriend’s 12-year-old brother, whom he mollycoddled by letting him win every game. Well, the kid bad-mouthed the poster in front of his friends, so he didn’t let him win as usual, which angered the little fellow!
More info: Reddit
RELATED:
Mollycoddling kids is not always the right way to go as they occasionally also need to be humbled
Image credits: vgstockstudio / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Whenever the poster played any competitive games with his girlfriend’s brother, he always let him win
Image credits: DistributionCheap969
Image credits: ruslan-malysh / Freepik (not the actual photo)
One day, he overheard the kid telling his friends that the poster always lost so he must be mentally challenged and his sister was stupid to date him
Image credits: DistributionCheap969
Image credits: Curated Lifestyle / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
The poster asked the kid for a game and did not let him win as usual, so his friends ended up laughing at the child, which made him cry and storm off
Image credits: DistributionCheap969
However, the poster’s girlfriend is angry about it as she feels that he is just a kid and the poster should have let him win
Today, we will dive into the life of Reddit user DistributionCheap969, who is always friendly with his girlfriend’s 12-year-old brother and often plays games with him. He tells us that he always lets the kid win whenever they play any competitive games, but the little fellow is unaware of this.
One day, when the poster was at his girlfriend’s house, he overheard the kid telling his friends how bad OP was at games as he always lost, so he must be mentally disabled. Well, the poster here mentions that the kid used some nasty words that he didn’t add to the story.
The little guy even went on to say that his sister must be stupid to date someone like him. Naturally, mean kids being mean kids, his friends burst into laughter, and this really hurt OP as he always tried to maintain a friendly relationship with the child.
Well, he decided to prove a point to the kid and asked him to play Call of Duty. His friends started sniggering, expecting to see OP lose. However, our guy purposely didn’t go easy on him, and seeing how he was close to losing, the kid’s friends were laughing at him.
The 12-year-old was on the verge of tears and stormed off to his room, and while OP felt that he had proved his point, he had to face his girlfriend’s fury. She was angry that he did not let her brother win as usual, and when OP tried to explain what the kid had said about him, as well as her, she just said that he was a kid and the poster should’ve let things go.
Probably questioning whether he did the right thing or not, OP vented online and sought advice, and as usual, Redditors did not disappoint.
Image credits: Blake Cheek / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Folks online instantly backed up the poster and said that it was high time the kid learned a lesson about being humble. They said that his sister mollycoddling him was not a healthy option and he also needed to know that always winning is not something that’s actually true in life.
A study has found that rates of anxiety disorders and depression are rising rapidly among teenagers. The Guardian believes that this is because of parents mollycoddling their kids and treating them as if they are fragile.
The article stated that “This is depriving their children’s immature immune systems of the learning experiences those systems need to develop their maximum protective capacity. If we overprotect kids and keep them ‘safe’ from unpleasant social situations and negative emotions, we deprive them of the challenges and opportunities for skill-building they need to grow strong.”
The article also stressed that such children are likely to suffer more when exposed later to other unpleasant but ordinary life events, such as teasing and social exclusion.
Research also suggests that if you always let children win, you are giving them the illusion that they cannot be defeated, which might destabilize them if they lose when playing against someone else.
Well, it looks like OP did the right thing after all, even if it landed him in trouble with his girlfriend. Many people also commented that the kid crying after losing and then storming off was an extreme reaction and he really needed the lesson that the poster taught him.
What are your thoughts about the story? Let us know in the comments below!
In an instant, folks sided with the poster and claimed that the kid needed to be taught a lesson and not be mollycoddled
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What do you think ?
StumblingThroughLife 2 weeks ago (edited)
All this pussyfooting around kids who think they can do/say anything they like, in case their feelings are hurt, doesn't help them cope when they're older. No wonder we have so many Arseholes out there.
LaserBrain 2 weeks ago
Shouldn't *let* people win. You learn more from losing than from winning. Trust me, I've lost more chess games than I can count 😂 and it feels a bit insulting if people pretend that I'm better than them.
Petra 2 weeks ago
Idk, I appreciate it when my brother lets me win a video game. I don't play on my own (and I suck pretty badly as a result), so it wouldn't be fun if he won every time we played together. But then again, he doesn't let me win every time. It's a give-and-take. And I cheer him on when he wins, just like he cheers me on when I win. And I don't feel insulted at all when he lets me win. It's about having fun together.
Load More Replies...
Nova Rook 2 weeks ago
He asked for it. I had a younger sister and when playing with her I tried to let her win about 2/3 of the time. Nice esteem boost for her but she also leans that winning is something to be (somewhat) earned.
Petra 2 weeks ago
This is the way to go about it. Even a 50/50 split is fine. Win some, loose some. It's about having fun together.
Load More Replies...
Donkey boi 2 weeks ago
My dad would never let us win any game. He'd kick our backsides, then tell how he did it.
notlikeyou1971 2 weeks ago
Call me old if you want to but back in my generation, people actually lost games. Kids have become coddled. This is why they have an attitude when they win or whine and cry if they lose. They need to learn how to lose so they can learn how to accept loss and failure because in the real world you aren't going to get " participation trophies ". The boss is not going to let you win either. If you make a mistake, you have to try harder or practice and so you can improve and succeed in the future. You were wrong for letting him win just because he was a kid.Hes definitely wrong for not knowing how to behave and being arrogant. His sister is wrong for getting angry for you not coddling him and winning honestly. So ESH L
kissmychakram 2 weeks ago
I only ever played co-operative games with my niece and god-daughter after discovering early on that my niece is horribly competitive and is a terrible loser and an even worse winner. We either all win or we all lose now.
SheamusFanFrom1987 2 weeks ago
The saying goes "Only trash-talk if you can stand the thrashing that comes with the territory". Guess lil bro found out the hard way, huh? OP has been a saint when it comes to games thus far (Personally, I'd let you win the first and maybe second time but after that, all bets are off) but that the kid decided to run his mouth. What he found out the hard way is that trash-talking without substance leads to a major thrashing. OP's GF ought to wake up, smell the gunfire and stop coddling her mouthy sibling. Lest she prefers someone else thrashing him way worst, and maybe not even in just video games. Jeez, people...!
CBolt 1 week ago
At 12 he should already know he won't always win or get his way. He should know it's rude to talk about somebody behind his back He should know that disabilities are not to be used as an insult. He's not a "little kid" - he's a kid who's development is being neglected & is going to be an insufferable jerk, probably a bully too, if somebody doesn't take responsibility for his growth & stop making excuses for him.
Steve Marshalek 1 week ago
I got my a*s kicked in mk by my sister growing up and goldeneye. It's a learning experience every kid needs to go through
Reta Murphy 1 week ago
I never took it easy on my kids when playing games. We started them gaming with age appropriate games when they could hold the controllers and understand simple instructions. When they got older and wanted to play against us, we played but didn't let them win. When they did win, they knew they did it. We celebrated and ordered a pizza and we partied. They did it!
SkippityBoppityBoo 1 week ago (edited)
This kid got a well deserved verbal "kick up the posterior". Mainly for using a horrible slur against anyone who has mental health conditions. The sooner he learns the better. There is always going to be someone better at something than he is. Better looking, has a better job, has more money or whatever. The sooner he learns that and that you won't always "win"? It's no reason to start calling people horrible names. Life isn't always fair.
Chris the Bobcat 2 weeks ago
I never let my daughter win. If she won, she had to do it honestly. I taught her to play chess when she was nine or ten and I never went easy on her. Took her three years, but when she did beat me, she knew she had earned it. Kid was an a$$hole and needed to be knocked down a few rungs, but OP didn't do him any favors by letting him win.
Ginger Winters 6 days ago
I do the same thing with my son on chess and checkers. It's funny cause he's never beaten me on Mario Kart but he tried to trash talk me last time cause he'd been beating the computer, he wound up in 8th place to my 1st. Then he remembered momma got skills
Load More Replies...
Robert Benson 2 weeks ago
It would have been better if he had handled this differently, e.g. play the game with the brothers friends weren't around. There shouldn't be a need to soothe your pride against someone significantly younger that yourself (of course we don't know all the ages involved). That said, playing to win is perfectly fine, regardless of ages involved. BUT, if skill-levels are drastically different, one can play "less efficiently". The goal should be for everyone to have fun. It isn't fun in a FPS to get picked off within 2 seconds of spawning, you also can't learn anything that way. Figuring out how to play to maximize enjoyment between parties can be as challenging as playing at peak performance. If they figure out that you are not playing your best, tell them that they are playing against the Level 1 (or whatever) version of you until they level up.
Ivy at Eve 5 days ago
Nothing wrong in letting kids win the majority of the time, it keeps them interested. But the majority, not always as they need to learn to deal with the disappointment of losing too and that went wrong here... explaining that he could have won as suggested by one commenter would have been a better solution but still very confronting for his self image. So for me YTA, the child was a prick but OP could have avoided and dealt with the problem differently. I wouldn't be surprised if the kid didn't want to play anymote.
FlamingRed 1 week ago
Is the brother just a kid? Sure. Is he old enough to learn about FAFO? Absolutely!
Ionescu Popa 2 weeks ago
there is a huge difference between "keeping people humble" and cutting them from being mean. the bullies are all those that chose the first, because thats where they stand themselves.
ThisIsMe 2 weeks ago
YTA. 12 is old enough to sit down and have a conversation about what was over heard, why it was wrong and hurtful, and to state that from now on there would be no "letting him win" and they would play fair and square. OP did not handle this like an adult.
David Morgan 2 weeks ago (edited)
Upvote because you are trying to be constructive. Yes, I want the little tool to get humbled, but that might just make him bitter and resentful (his failing, but you have to put up with it). A private conversation, and if necessary, a demonstration that his 'victories' were because OP wanted to establish a friendship, might have been a better way to approach it. Honestly, the sister should also have had a word with her brother about respect and family relationships - depending on how he handled that, you can judge whether he's a little arsehole or merely trying to show off in front of his friends.
Load More Replies... StumblingThroughLife 2 weeks ago (edited)
All this pussyfooting around kids who think they can do/say anything they like, in case their feelings are hurt, doesn't help them cope when they're older. No wonder we have so many Arseholes out there.
LaserBrain 2 weeks ago
Shouldn't *let* people win. You learn more from losing than from winning. Trust me, I've lost more chess games than I can count 😂 and it feels a bit insulting if people pretend that I'm better than them.
Petra 2 weeks ago
Idk, I appreciate it when my brother lets me win a video game. I don't play on my own (and I suck pretty badly as a result), so it wouldn't be fun if he won every time we played together. But then again, he doesn't let me win every time. It's a give-and-take. And I cheer him on when he wins, just like he cheers me on when I win. And I don't feel insulted at all when he lets me win. It's about having fun together.
Load More Replies... Nova Rook 2 weeks ago
He asked for it. I had a younger sister and when playing with her I tried to let her win about 2/3 of the time. Nice esteem boost for her but she also leans that winning is something to be (somewhat) earned.
Petra 2 weeks ago
This is the way to go about it. Even a 50/50 split is fine. Win some, loose some. It's about having fun together.
Load More Replies... Donkey boi 2 weeks ago
My dad would never let us win any game. He'd kick our backsides, then tell how he did it.
notlikeyou1971 2 weeks ago
Call me old if you want to but back in my generation, people actually lost games. Kids have become coddled. This is why they have an attitude when they win or whine and cry if they lose. They need to learn how to lose so they can learn how to accept loss and failure because in the real world you aren't going to get " participation trophies ". The boss is not going to let you win either. If you make a mistake, you have to try harder or practice and so you can improve and succeed in the future. You were wrong for letting him win just because he was a kid.Hes definitely wrong for not knowing how to behave and being arrogant. His sister is wrong for getting angry for you not coddling him and winning honestly. So ESH L
kissmychakram 2 weeks ago
I only ever played co-operative games with my niece and god-daughter after discovering early on that my niece is horribly competitive and is a terrible loser and an even worse winner. We either all win or we all lose now.
SheamusFanFrom1987 2 weeks ago
The saying goes "Only trash-talk if you can stand the thrashing that comes with the territory". Guess lil bro found out the hard way, huh? OP has been a saint when it comes to games thus far (Personally, I'd let you win the first and maybe second time but after that, all bets are off) but that the kid decided to run his mouth. What he found out the hard way is that trash-talking without substance leads to a major thrashing. OP's GF ought to wake up, smell the gunfire and stop coddling her mouthy sibling. Lest she prefers someone else thrashing him way worst, and maybe not even in just video games. Jeez, people...!
CBolt 1 week ago
At 12 he should already know he won't always win or get his way. He should know it's rude to talk about somebody behind his back He should know that disabilities are not to be used as an insult. He's not a "little kid" - he's a kid who's development is being neglected & is going to be an insufferable jerk, probably a bully too, if somebody doesn't take responsibility for his growth & stop making excuses for him.
Steve Marshalek 1 week ago
I got my a*s kicked in mk by my sister growing up and goldeneye. It's a learning experience every kid needs to go through
Reta Murphy 1 week ago
I never took it easy on my kids when playing games. We started them gaming with age appropriate games when they could hold the controllers and understand simple instructions. When they got older and wanted to play against us, we played but didn't let them win. When they did win, they knew they did it. We celebrated and ordered a pizza and we partied. They did it!
SkippityBoppityBoo 1 week ago (edited)
This kid got a well deserved verbal "kick up the posterior". Mainly for using a horrible slur against anyone who has mental health conditions. The sooner he learns the better. There is always going to be someone better at something than he is. Better looking, has a better job, has more money or whatever. The sooner he learns that and that you won't always "win"? It's no reason to start calling people horrible names. Life isn't always fair.
Chris the Bobcat 2 weeks ago
I never let my daughter win. If she won, she had to do it honestly. I taught her to play chess when she was nine or ten and I never went easy on her. Took her three years, but when she did beat me, she knew she had earned it. Kid was an a$$hole and needed to be knocked down a few rungs, but OP didn't do him any favors by letting him win.
Ginger Winters 6 days ago
I do the same thing with my son on chess and checkers. It's funny cause he's never beaten me on Mario Kart but he tried to trash talk me last time cause he'd been beating the computer, he wound up in 8th place to my 1st. Then he remembered momma got skills
Load More Replies... Robert Benson 2 weeks ago
It would have been better if he had handled this differently, e.g. play the game with the brothers friends weren't around. There shouldn't be a need to soothe your pride against someone significantly younger that yourself (of course we don't know all the ages involved). That said, playing to win is perfectly fine, regardless of ages involved. BUT, if skill-levels are drastically different, one can play "less efficiently". The goal should be for everyone to have fun. It isn't fun in a FPS to get picked off within 2 seconds of spawning, you also can't learn anything that way. Figuring out how to play to maximize enjoyment between parties can be as challenging as playing at peak performance. If they figure out that you are not playing your best, tell them that they are playing against the Level 1 (or whatever) version of you until they level up.
Ivy at Eve 5 days ago
Nothing wrong in letting kids win the majority of the time, it keeps them interested. But the majority, not always as they need to learn to deal with the disappointment of losing too and that went wrong here... explaining that he could have won as suggested by one commenter would have been a better solution but still very confronting for his self image. So for me YTA, the child was a prick but OP could have avoided and dealt with the problem differently. I wouldn't be surprised if the kid didn't want to play anymote.
FlamingRed 1 week ago
Is the brother just a kid? Sure. Is he old enough to learn about FAFO? Absolutely!
Ionescu Popa 2 weeks ago
there is a huge difference between "keeping people humble" and cutting them from being mean. the bullies are all those that chose the first, because thats where they stand themselves.
ThisIsMe 2 weeks ago
YTA. 12 is old enough to sit down and have a conversation about what was over heard, why it was wrong and hurtful, and to state that from now on there would be no "letting him win" and they would play fair and square. OP did not handle this like an adult.
David Morgan 2 weeks ago (edited)
Upvote because you are trying to be constructive. Yes, I want the little tool to get humbled, but that might just make him bitter and resentful (his failing, but you have to put up with it). A private conversation, and if necessary, a demonstration that his 'victories' were because OP wanted to establish a friendship, might have been a better way to approach it. Honestly, the sister should also have had a word with her brother about respect and family relationships - depending on how he handled that, you can judge whether he's a little arsehole or merely trying to show off in front of his friends.
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