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It is okay to not be perfect
By sandi | September 29, 2010
As I sit here watching the kids at gymnastics I can hear the mutterings of the parents around me. It amazes and sickens me the values they hold. There are Moms complaining about the impact gymnastics has on them and their spare time. They are discussing the crunch this makes on their dinner plans, which they then admit to their friends that they were always going to drive through a drive-thru anyhow. Those are all annoying things to listen to for several hours but they pale in comparison to the comments I constantly hear swirling around the room about how the coaches are treating the kids.
How are the coaches treating the kids, you may wonder. Simply, they are giving feedback. They are being honest with the child and their ability and if the child did not do a move correctly they are not giving them a high five. Really, I kid you not, this is what their issue is.
It is amazing and astounding to me. I don’t even understand what they want to achieve. They are the exact same people who were watching as the teachers were doing evaluations and hoping that little Susie hit the mark to move up to the next level. How do they expect the child to move up to the next level if genuine feedback is not given?
It is okay and even good for our children to not be perfect. I can’t think of anything in my life that has taught me more than my mistakes. We all make mistakes, we all learn from them. Why then are these parents trying to keep their child from having those invaluable lessons? These and so many other mysteries of the universe elude me.
Topics: Gymnastics, Mom's Soap Box | 1 Comment »
September 30th, 2010 at 7:00 pm
I agree with what you have said. The girls swim coach can be hard on them, not mean..but she has expectations and there are no false pats on the back. But when they DO get that pat on the back, it means something!