The other day, I experienced my first round of silly parent competitiveness. My preschool daughter's gymnastics class was divided in half. Half went up; half went down. When my daughter didn't move up at first, that little voice inside me went, "Whaaaa?" But then my toddler son began attacking the soda machine, and I had to put my outrage aside while tiny hands were extracted from the dispenser.
And by the time I managed that, I remembered something.
That's right. My daughter is a little girl. Not Gabby Douglas. Not Shannon Miller. Just a little girl having so much fun, that no big bad mama in yoga pants needed to come ruin it.
This is an easy time to get caught up in the competitive nature of sports. Not only did we just have another Super Bowl (Hello? Broncos? Was anyone home? Where did my team go?), but the opening ceremonies, gold medals, and thrill of competition are right in our faces with the Winter Olympics. And it's awesome to cheer for the home team. It totally, totally is.
As long as we keep competition where it should be.
When it comes to our kids, healthy competition can be a good thing. But too much of a good thing is no longer a good thing, and when those kids are itty bitty, your best intentions can lead to frustration, inactivity, and just plain no fun. In light of that revelation, I decided to take on several topics for this month, ones that hit home with a former competitor like myself.
What are the best sports for little kids? I sought out several local experts in different sports disciplines for this one, and I'm just going to tell you that it doesn't take much beside a great attitude and an emphasis on learning while having FUN for your kid to get psyched about sports. Some sports are difficult to play at ages 3 and 4 (think football and volleyball), but others are just a step up from what kids love to do anyway (think gymnastics and soccer). See more on this topic February 13.
Pushing your kids--how much is too much? My attitude mentioned above was a surprise to me. I've always thought I'd be such a good parent when it came to my kids doing sports, simply because I used to skate competitively as well as coach, and I know how crazy parents can be. Little did I know how hard it is too tame that mama bear, and how deciding what's best for your kid and deciding what's best for her sports career are two vastly different things. See more on this February 20.
Preventing injury--how can you be an aware parent? Overuse can be the leading cause of injury in so many sports, simply because we live in a society where more seems to be better. Tuning this philosophy out isn't always easy, but it can be critical for the health and mental well-being of your child. So keeping your finger on your child's physical and mental health, especially when participating in sports, is not only helpful, but crucial to your role as a parent. More on this February 27.
So I hope you tune in this month, especially if you want to be the type of parent who helps your kid not only succeed in sports, but also enjoy them. Because at the end of the day, if your kids are headed for the big time, they ought to be able to do it with a smile on their faces.
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