How does one explain to a 5 year old that life is not fair?
How does one explain that there are winners and losers in every activity?
How does one teach a 5 year old the perils of an expectation and a resulting disappointment?
How long can a parent shield and protect them?
What is a good age for a child to understand that life is not always fair?

I wonder.....

Its hard to accept that there is no Santa Claus...
Harder to accept that I may not win every game
Hardest to know I am not as good as the other person in doing something...

The same challenges that knock you down as a 5 year old, confront you three or four decades later...