Boredom
The Saturday With Nothing to Do
An ordinary Saturday in 1984 with no plans, no devices, and no one to entertain him.
ResilienceLosingEmotional Control
The Race Jake Didn't Win
Jake loses a race he badly wanted to win. What he does with the disappointment becomes the real story.
Jake trains, wants it, and believes it's his turn. Then someone else crosses the line first. This short story sits inside that ordinary, uncomfortable moment: the loss itself, and everything a child feels right after.
Rather than rushing to fix Jake's disappointment or explain it away, the adults around him let him feel it — and help him find his footing again without erasing the loss.
The Race Jake Didn't Win is about a simple, unfashionable idea: children do not need to win every time, and losing well is a skill worth teaching on purpose.
This Book Will Help Parents
- Learn how to sit with a child's disappointment instead of rushing to fix it
- Understand why losing can build humility, perseverance, and emotional control
- Get language for helping kids process a loss without minimizing their feelings
- See the difference between comforting a child and rescuing them from a result
- Build confidence that your child can handle not winning
Ideal Reader
Parents of kids in sports or competitions who struggle to handle losing.
Next in This Series
The Broken BikeRelated Books
Chores
The Saturday List
A handwritten chore list that taught a family it needed everyone to run.
Problem-Solving
The Broken Bike
A chain that keeps slipping off, and no adult coming to fix it.