How to raise a team player

This is a collaborative post

Like many things in life, teamwork as well as being a team player is something that is taught. As a very young child, it is clear that they have zero clue on what being a good team player is just by a couple minutes of observing them in a room together. However, by the time they reach a certain age, they develop the capability to understand what team work is, even if they don’t enjoy it. These need to be taught by parents so they know how to behave correctly in situations they’ll face in their life. Here are some tips from an independent school in Surrey on how to raise a team player.

At home, the main thing to start with is being verbal about everyone having a role. Your child may think that it is up to the adults given they have the skills and knowledge to do everything, but this can be prevented. Teach your child that a team is full of contributors who have different levels of strength and ability, but still do their part to get things done. Give your child the chance to choose how they’d like to contribute as it allows them to figure out their own strengths.

Ensure your child has the mindset of effort being the main part and not winning. Many children get discouraged when they see they aren’t succeeding the way another peer is and back out from frustration. A way this can be avoided, is by rewarding the efforts your child gives when trying things, from a young age. If they are only praised for winning and achievements, they will never see effort and hard work as something to be proud of.

Teach them how to be supportive. Grown adults know that being in a team is more enjoyable and uplifting when the rest of the team members are supportive and happy for successes you may achieve. This should be taught young as it is an important part to being a team player. As well as praising your child for things they’ve done, help them practice praising their siblings or peers for their own achievements too.

Teach them to be fair. A good team player stands by the set of basic rules created for any type of teamwork. Ensure your child understands that there are turns to take when speaking and that everyone has a voice and opinion. If there are some who choose to question the rules, hear them out and discuss with everyone as a whole to see if it will bring benefit to the team.