Whether it's a strikeout in the last inning or a missed ballet step at the big recital, mistakes can get your little champ down. Even Olympic phenom Michael Phelps has dealt with disappointment on his swim to success. He shared his advice for handling it with Parenting:
Do some prep work. "From a very young age, I would visualize good things, bad things, races going the way I wanted, races not going the way I wanted. I went through every race before I swam to prepare myself for anything that could happen. So whether I get disqualified or my goggles fill up with water -- I'm ready for anything."
Learn from your mistakes. "My disappointments probably helped me more than winning. I don't like to lose, so if I do have a failure, then I say to myself, 'What can I do to make sure that doesn't happen again?'"
Stick with it. "As easy as it sounds, it's the dead truth: Never give up! Nothing in life will ever, ever come easy, and there will always be obstacles that stand in your way."
