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'My partner gets way too competitive with our kids, and I'm sick of it'

By 9Honey | As told to Sally Hunt|

I'd say my partner Tyson is a great dad, as he's very involved with raising our kids, who are aged nine, 11 and 14. There's no problem with that.

The problem is, he gets too involved and I think he forgets he is the parent and they are his children. When he plays any kind of game with the kids, he gets so incredibly competitive that it always ends in arguments and tears.

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We'd been watching The Queen's Gambit, so Tyson had the idea to get a chess set and teach the kids how to play. That sounded like a good idea to me, as I also wanted to learn. I even went out and bought a special book about teachings kids chess. So far, so good.

Tyson taught me and we had a few games. I realise I'm a true beginner and not terribly good at the game, but even if I made a move that was okay, Tyson didn't like it.

Young family enjoying time at home playing chess together
"Our 14-year-old came close to beating her father, so he stopped playing with her." (Getty)

So when it came time to teach the kids, things went pear-shaped. Our 14-year-old was eventually quite good. In fact, she was so good she made some moves and came close to beating her father.

Well, Tyson didn't like that, and after joking that she was going to be better than him and he'd stop playing with her, he did stop and hasn't played with her ever since.

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It's worse with the two boys and any other game, especially soccer. Tyson gets so competitive and tries to hog the ball. It ends up with me yelling at him to let the boys have a go too.

Yet Xbox and board games are when Tyson shows his true self กช that he is a sore loser. I don't know what they were playing, as I rarely pay attention to video games, but I heard my nine-year-old crying. When I went to see what was wrong, his father was laughing, saying he'd destroyed his son's 'village'.

Kids and father playing soccer on a beautiful summer afternoon outdoors
"He seems to become a teenage boy when he's playing any kind of game with the kids." (Getty)

"Why did you destroy his village?" I asked. Tyson said something about it being a game and that he wanted to win. I couldn't believe I had to remind him he's a 40-year-old man and his son is only nine: "Can't you just let him win, or maybe just not destroy his village?"

It sounds trivial, but it's not กช he seems to become a teenage boy when he's playing any kind of game with the kids, and I've told him it's not okay.

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If I want to analyse it, I'd say that because Tyson was the youngest of four sons, maybe his big brothers treated him badly when it came to fun and games and Tyson has held a grudge. Maybe his competitiveness is part of that, I'm not sure.

I've spent a lot of time trying to analyse his behaviour but, more and more, I'm coming to think he is just being a total idiot and I wish he'd grow up.

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