We are also big believers in setting “personal best” goals in the classroom, the music room, on the playing field—or in the backyard. It’s not that competition is bad per se—your kid needs to learn how to go for it when she really wants to win—but it is far more effective when the person she is competing with is herself. She may not have control over how much someone else practices or how good they are, but she has total control over how much she practices to beat her prior time or score. Seeing yourself get better at something is enormously rewarding.
