I just recently got back from a coaching clinic in Napa and while several of the speakers were good, it was a lot of the same things reiterated. I was fortunate enough to have great coaches at Carmel and Michigan and they were ahead of their time on the science of racing and training (yes, I was listening...).
That being said, one speaker resonated with me; more as a new parent then a swim coach. He referenced several books (The Talent Code/How to talk to your kids...) but the gist of his lecture was that our kids need to learn how fail in sports because it the safest place to fail. Imagine if the first place they fail is college or marriage...then what? He also pushed the point that we shouldn't just give praise, allow for your child to earn their praise and then give it. So I've been thinking about this for the last two days and this morning I stumble upon this article in the NY Times (Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior). Please read it, whether or not you agree, it has great points.
My favorite statement in the entire article is,
"What Chinese parents understand is that nothing is fun until you're good at it. To get good at anything you have to work, and children on their own never want to work, which is why it is crucial to override their preferences."
I hope I remember this down the road. Any thoughts?
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3 comments:
wow...great reference. thanks for the article E.
I thought the article was horrible. I appreciate the idea that kids get way too much positive feedback in our society, but that lady is a monster. I dont believe that being better than everyone else equates to happiness. Additionally, by denying her kids the ability to participate in sports, plays, sleep overs, etc, she is insuring that her children will grow up with no depth of character. I would rather my kid new how to be silly than had the manual dexterity to nail the violin solo on the donkey song.
wally, i love your passion. i knew it would piss someone off...
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