Fantastic essay … my parents were similar … guided my brother and I on broadening and deepening our knowledge and letting our motivation and values guide us in what we chose to do.
Great essay. Hit so close to home in terms of how I try to counsel families in clinic and yet don’t always live out myself as a parent in the home where it’s way too easy to put pressure on your kids and not allow enough exploration. Such helpful perspective on this challenging subject, thx for writing.
Good stuff. Kids need to explore. Class rankings and GPA don't measure learning, just how well you jump through hoops. Motivation has to be intrinsic or you'll never really stick to it.
This one hits. As someone who was told what to do and think I was at a distinct disadvantage later in life and had to relearn some things on my own. Now I am rasing my own child I find it beautiful that she has found the passion for her own activity (aerial) that is completely different than my own (rock climbing).
That Bill Walsh book is a good one. His other two are also worth reading.
My son (now 16) has had to listen and watch as his peers have been dragged around the county and further afield, and their parents bragged about the (paid for) teams with big names that are much better than my son's local teams.
My son has stuck to playing locally in a variety of sports, with football being his main passion, T&F in the summer. In the last month, now that his training is finally showing through (he's caught up and overtaken in height the early-developers), he's been asked to play two age-groups up (we will defer and let him play one age group up as he's still growing) while his footballing peers are leaving their clubs due to them now losing!
They've been over-hyped and are unused to struggling.
My son has also been invited to train at an athletics camp in Germany, for free.
It's tough listening to parents boast about their 7-year-olds' 'successes' but our son has had our unconditional love the whole time. We've also played with him in the garden and the park: relishing those moments rather than watching another adult do it for us!
I keep telling parents to play, enjoy and support, but it falls on dead ears (except for an enlightened few, whose children are also enjoying sport in their late teens).
I grew up in a family of GEDs and barely graduates. I have a 4.0 in my masters and was suma cum laude in my BS. I think you absolutely smashed the key point, in my own limited experience — chasing down the rabbit holes that spark curiosity is the ticket. Every opportunity that I get to study the human condition feels akin to binging a Netflix series.
I have hope that your message might light a spark in someone to guide rather than direct their children’s lives.
Fantastic essay … my parents were similar … guided my brother and I on broadening and deepening our knowledge and letting our motivation and values guide us in what we chose to do.
Great essay. Hit so close to home in terms of how I try to counsel families in clinic and yet don’t always live out myself as a parent in the home where it’s way too easy to put pressure on your kids and not allow enough exploration. Such helpful perspective on this challenging subject, thx for writing.
Good stuff. Kids need to explore. Class rankings and GPA don't measure learning, just how well you jump through hoops. Motivation has to be intrinsic or you'll never really stick to it.
This one hits. As someone who was told what to do and think I was at a distinct disadvantage later in life and had to relearn some things on my own. Now I am rasing my own child I find it beautiful that she has found the passion for her own activity (aerial) that is completely different than my own (rock climbing).
That Bill Walsh book is a good one. His other two are also worth reading.
My son (now 16) has had to listen and watch as his peers have been dragged around the county and further afield, and their parents bragged about the (paid for) teams with big names that are much better than my son's local teams.
My son has stuck to playing locally in a variety of sports, with football being his main passion, T&F in the summer. In the last month, now that his training is finally showing through (he's caught up and overtaken in height the early-developers), he's been asked to play two age-groups up (we will defer and let him play one age group up as he's still growing) while his footballing peers are leaving their clubs due to them now losing!
They've been over-hyped and are unused to struggling.
My son has also been invited to train at an athletics camp in Germany, for free.
It's tough listening to parents boast about their 7-year-olds' 'successes' but our son has had our unconditional love the whole time. We've also played with him in the garden and the park: relishing those moments rather than watching another adult do it for us!
I keep telling parents to play, enjoy and support, but it falls on dead ears (except for an enlightened few, whose children are also enjoying sport in their late teens).
I grew up in a family of GEDs and barely graduates. I have a 4.0 in my masters and was suma cum laude in my BS. I think you absolutely smashed the key point, in my own limited experience — chasing down the rabbit holes that spark curiosity is the ticket. Every opportunity that I get to study the human condition feels akin to binging a Netflix series.
Thanks Steve 💙. A lovely read as usual.