Having an 11 year old point out that the things you say vs do don’t always match up can be very humbling and easy to dismiss.
“I’m trying to help you not do the things I do”
Why not show vs tell?
Are we doing our best to be a living example of what we’d like our children to become?
One of the best and worst facts about parenting is….
Kids don’t listen, but they do imitate.
Now when relating this to kids sports how do we lead by example?
“Are you saying I should train to be a 9 year old baseball/soccer/football/ basketball phenom??”
No, to teach as best as possible we should emulate the characteristics of a 30 year old sports phenom.
Lets start with 10 Things that do not require talent (see footnote for reference)
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Being on Time – What are you teaching your child about being on time for practice and games? Being one of the first to show up reinforces commitment, and planning your schedule effectively. Making it not acceptable to be ‘Just in time’ or even late consistently is a valuable lesson in and of itself.
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Work Ethic – When your kid sees you completing a task, what are they learning?
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Effort – Do your kids see you give your best effort in the little and big things you do? Are you emulating the effort you’re asking for?
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Body Language – Does your body language give off confidence? Have you ever seen a successful person not look confident the majority of the time you see them?
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Energy – You can always control your energy levels. Are you high or low energy? Do you choose to push through or rest? What do you emulate when you’re feeling tired?
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Attitude – Your attitude helps color your life. Any situation can be framed in a positive or negative light on how you interpret
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Passion– Do you exude passion for something? Do you have a hobby or pastime that you stick with through the good and bad?
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Being Coachable – Do you have a coach, or a boss? Do you let your kids see his you adapt and change to life and other constantly evolving situations? If you constantly talk bad about your boss or superiors in business or work, what lessons are kids taking away from that?
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Doing Extra – Do you go the extra mile or do the bare minimum?
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Being Prepared – Are you preparing to maximize your time to have the best experience? Are you overextending yourself to the point that you’re under prepared? There are a couple lessons within ‘Being Prepared’. 1. Don’t take on more than you can successfully prepare for 2. Solid preparation takes time and usually starts as soon as the practice, game, event ends.
Let’s be real here, fully executing on all of these is impossible because, like mastery of anything, it’s a process more than a destination. What would our kids learn from watching us try, fail and learn from consistently working towards these 10 things that do not require talent?
Kids don’t listen but they do imitate… What are we giving them to imitate?
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/10-things-require-zero-talent-can-still-lead-success-hyacinth/
1/1000
So true, especially #6 regarding attitude.