What is a good success program for kids? Anything that will motivate your child toward success is a plus. This could be a hobby, activity, social group, or sport. The object is to spark ambition from within, and let your child develop compassion for this activity.
Although you might initially choose a particular program, be flexible in your thinking. Let your son or daughter be a part of this selection process. For example: You cannot make him or her love baseball. There has to be some inherent passion for the particular program within his or her mind.
Hobbies would include: Music, arts, crafts, and collecting. These are primarily mental activities, and it is fairly common for kids to be a member of another activity at the same time. Children should try a variety of activities in order to round out their experience.
Activities are a fairly general term, and encompass any after school activity you can think of. Make sure these are supervised, and your child is actually learning something constructive.
Social Groups include: Religious instruction, scouting, SADD, and anything similar. These are great for bonding and should be well supervised. They teach kids, and teens, about community service and making a difference.
Sports can be separated into two main groups; organized league sports and individual sports would be the two main divisions. Children should be exposed to at least one of these to find their niche. It is important to note that the coach should be safety-minded and the kids should be having a good time.
It is not about what sport you would choose for him or her, but the fact that he or she is having fun while learning. Parents can be supportive, and take a back seat, at the same time. If you decide to become a coach, thats fine; every league needs parental support. Please beware of making the activity your child has selected into a stressful situation.
Many parents have the best of intentions, but end up over handling their sons or daughters activities. Perfection is not realistically expected of adults, so why do we demand it from our children? The answer is simple: We want our children to be everything we were not. This is still with the best of intentions, but like it or not, our children will make mistakes and have to learn from them.
Copyright 2005 Paul Jerard / Aura Publications |
