I think you’re absolutely right, your son’s motivation for cheating is most definitely because he doesn’t like losing and is at least somewhat focused on the winning/losing aspect of playing a game. In a sense this is good and shows a degree of personal motivation.

Just a personal anecdote: I was also rarely encouraged as a child to enjoy things like games even if I didn’t win 100% of the time. My parents never told me, “yeah, losing stinks, but if you play fairly you still get to win sometimes, and playing the game is fun anyway”. I entered my early adult life thinking that cheating and winning was the key to personal happiness, but cheating only got harder and the consequences more severe. I couple of big “reality check” mistakes later, and I’m arguably a more honest and responsible person, but imagine going from being handed high grades and test scores – to learning that I’m an average person like everyone else. It’s depressing!

I think your story was heartwarming, and given your child’s age, hopefully it will encourage him to enjoy the game as-is, without worrying too much about the outcome to the point of dishonesty. Great blog!

Other than that, it was a good story.
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