I think it’s often a habit for parents to believe their child is a reflection of who they are and how well they perform their job (of being a mom or dad). Because of which, many times, when parenting, we don’t give our child the room to grow to their fullest potential. Instead, we might feel it’s important to helicopter every move/decision our kids make. And, let me tell you, this dynamic is especially true in sports.
Parenting. It’s what almost every act, decision, or characteristic associated with an individual often stems back to.
What To Do When You’re Parenting A Child in Sports
I’ll keep it simple: If your kids are in sports, just compliment their effort; their drive. And there’s really not much more to write, but I will.
Don’t worry about:
- the time of their race
- whether their team won or lost
- the score of the game (during or after)
- who’s competing
And please don’t:
- roll your eyes/make faces
- use demeaning, overly constructive language
- talk about their performance (unless you happen to be their coach)
Bret, my husband, was the number one recruited high school collegiate quarterback. He knew what it meant to go all out. He also knew what it meant (and felt like) to disappoint your parents — if you didn’t perform at a certain level.
Don’t get me wrong, his parents are awesome and did an incredible job parenting.
But there are things we do, as parents of kids in sports — even when we mean the best — that can really mess with our child’s head.
The beautiful — full-circle — moment, though, of Bret receiving that sort of parenting, was that it dictated how we would parent our kids in sports. And I’m happy to report that both my kids did what was best for them in their chosen physical pursuits.
Don’t talk about the game or the event right after it.
Just let everybody cool off. And then, if your kid wants feedback from you, they’re going to ask for it. But unless you’re an expert in that event, let their coach do that work.
You be the parent; you be the support; you be the person who recognizes what they put into it, and you be the person who recognizes what they got out of it.
For much more related to this topic, like:
- parenting trends today
- things I truly feel have worked for raising my kids
- the unfortunate event I witnessed (of a very antagonizing parent) that inspired this blog
Then you must check out The Chalene Show episode below:
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