I've read all the studies about gentle parenting, and I still let my 6-year-old win at board games sometimes—not to teach her anything, just to see her smile. Then I worry I'm setting her up for disappointment when she eventually loses to a friend and melts down. On the other hand, my neighbor's kid never gets anything handed to him, and he seems fine, but he's also a bit too rigid about rules for my taste. Are we overthinking small moments like these, or do they really shape how children handle failure later?