So Sis, this week things are a little bit different. This week's story comes from my life, but I thought it was such an interesting topic that I had to share & get some feedback from the Tribe. So here I go, I take the kids to school every morning & we talk about random things, they get lectures, they tell me what I need to cook for dinner, we discuss schedules, or we listen to the radio, lol it all depends on the day. Well, Thursday there was an interesting topic on the radio station about an upcoming documentary. They were discussing parents pushing their agenda when it comes to children & their potential careers. As we listened & they went to the commercial break we all said that sounds like it's going to be good. I said it does. My son asked, " Mom does that happen"? I said yes son more often than people know. Intentionally sometimes & sometimes it's not. As I pulled up to the school and dropped the kids off, I went for a walk, but that conversation continued to play in my mind. I of course looked online & saw that this is an ongoing issue.
Experts Say: Children enroll in extracurricular activities such as sports, dance, and the martial arts for a variety of reasons, including exercise, growing their talents, learning teamwork, and just plain, old fun.
There are times, though, when these same activities meant to enhance a child’s life can cause undue stress and plenty of confusion over priorities.
But how can parents know the difference between activities that are positively challenging kids to grow into well-rounded adults and those that are the source of anxiety? As much as parents should pay attention to cues from their children, they also should look at their motivations, the counselors said. “There are parents who want to live vicariously through the kids and place unnecessary pressure on their kids. And some just want their kids to experience the greatness of the activity because they enjoy it so much,”. Kids just want to make their parents happy, let them enjoy their childhood, and figure out what they are interested in. Parents need to step back and evaluate and ask, ‘Why am I pushing my child, why am I putting this ball in their hands?'”
That self-reflection should prompt mothers and fathers to invite their children into the conversation by asking them for their honest opinions about the benefits and drawbacks of the activities. Often children are too afraid to speak up because they fear they will disappoint their parents.
Those conversations let children know that it’s OK to say no to an activity. “They have to be able to have the permission to be in a healthy & safe space. Letting them know that makes all the difference in the world,” Let's make sure we are doing things for the right reasons sometimes we are pushing our narratives unintentionally. We love them let's make sure we show it in our words & actions. It's ok to check YOurself every now & then SIS!
~What Say YOu Tribe? What's YOur opinion, experiences, words of wisdom? When it comes to this topic?~
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