When the Going Gets Tough Challenges in Parenting an Athlete
they struggle with a certain technique. Because of this, they get frustrated and want to quit. By letting themquit immediately, however, you’re teaching them that frustration is always bad, rather than a motivator to improve. Inmy eyes, parents should encourage their child to confront frustration head-on. When the child succeeds, they’ll feel somuch better precisely because they toughed it out. For Children 11 and Older: At this age, comparisons to peers becomes an especially thorny issue. Rather than trying to be the best they can, kids want to be on the level of their friends and fellow gymnasts —not tomention the fact that other interests start cropping up, ranging from cheerleading to dances. Quitting an activity is always the easy way out. If you teach your children that perseverance and practice will help them achieve their goals, it will benefit them not just in sports, but in every aspect of life.
Parenting an athlete can be challenging and stressful. You want to do what’s best for your child, but how do you knowwhat that is? Here are a few tips to guide you along the way, depending on the age of your child. For 4- to 5-Year-Olds: Typically, children of this age are fickle. When they start a new activity, they will almost always be excited. For a lot of young kids, though, that excitement will fade, and they’ll find an excuse to stop showing up. Usually, that excuse is pain. Kids are clever, and they know that saying their back hurts will trigger alarmbells for a parent. My advice to parents dealing with these or other objections is to encourage your child to stick it out for a season. If your child tried to find a way to get out of school, you wouldn’t allow it. You should apply the same approach to extracurricular activities.
For 5- to 10-Year-Olds: At this stage, the most common issue is a child encountering difficulty in their sport. They now know a few tricks, but maybe
2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
Meme Corner
APPLE CRISP Winning
Ingredients
(Recipe courtesy of tasteofhome.com.)
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1 cup all-purpose flour
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1/2 cup butter, softened
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1 cup water
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3/4 cup rolled oats
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4 cups chopped, peeled apples
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract Vanilla ice cream, optional
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1 cup packed brown sugar
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1 cup sugar
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1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
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2 tablespoons cornstarch
Directions
1. Heat the oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, combine the first four ingredients. Cut in butter until crumbly. Press half of mixture into a greased 2½ quart baking dish or a 9-inch square baking pan. Cover with apples. 2. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, water, and vanilla. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thick and clear. Pour over apples. Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture. 3. Bake 60–65 minutes or until apples are tender. Serve warm, with ice cream if desired.
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