Yikes!

Believe it or not my niece and I (Kim) were on hockey skates for the first time earlier today. I've watched a thousand youth hockey games, yet I've never had those darn slippery skates on my own two feet.

Figure skates I can handle. I'm good at using those toe picks to keep me from falling. Hockey skates? There are no toes picks. The blades are smooth from front to back so I was sliding around in all sorts of directions. (Don't worry - my son took a few minutes to show me the ropes before I took my niece out on the ice.)

The next time you yell at your child for falling down during a hockey game, striking out at bat, or kicking a weak soccer pass, give it a try yourself - it's not always so easy. You might even get a good laugh at how untalented you really are. And I'll bet (or hope) you'll lighten up on your child.

During this holiday season, have some fun and try a new sport!

Happy Holidays!

Tiger Woods is Human...and so is Your Child

With a car wreck and alleged affairs, Tiger's life has been turned upside down. I'm by no means a psychologist. I will not analyze Tiger's actions. However, a little speculation is fair game.

Tiger is a phenomenal athlete and he's human. His life exists on and off the golf course. He sleeps, he eats, and he brushes his teeth. He makes mistakes.

Just like your child, Tiger lives day-to-day life and makes choices (sometimes with a little help from others). There are many "normal" aspects to Tiger's life other than the perfect pedestal life we've seen for many years.

Too many parents expect perfection from their young athlete. Tiger Woods lived a life that we didn't see in the media. Parents need to realize that the media reports are not always reality. We all have limitations. We all make good and bad choices - it's inevitable.

I'm not saying that Tiger's alleged affairs are acceptable. But I am saying that they were his choices. He made those choices, got caught, and is facing consequences. So be it. They are his problems, not ours.

Your child is your problem. You are raising your child. Don't put your child on a pedestal. Teach your child right from wrong, the importance of going to school, getting good grades, and balancing life with sports.

I've seen parents with out-of-control expectations. You know...those parents who force their children to lift weights, play on multiple teams, and go for extra runs in addition to their team's agenda. And I've observed parents who repeatedly pull their child off to the side (to give advice) after the child strikes out or misses scoring a goal.

Whether your child is a talented athlete or not, don't expect perfection in athletics. Don't make life easy for him because you think he's the next Tiger Woods. Make sure your child does his homework, loads the dishwasher, cleans his room, and attends social events. This is true reality. Don't believe that Tiger didn't do these chores. You probably just weren't aware of it.

I'm disappointed in Tiger as a role model for young athletes. However, in many ways I'm glad that we all finally saw this side of Tiger. We can learn from it.