Sports Parents Should Avoid Nagging at All Cost – Do This Instead
The last thing you want to do as a sports parent is to be a nag. Nagging makes your kids resent you and its negative reinforcement that makes kids feel incompetent. Moreover, nagging is a short-term band-aid to a problem that needs a permanent solution.
Unquestionably, every sports parent wants their child to make good choices. Choosing practice over gaming, studying over watching YouTube, productivity over wasting time. However, if you must constantly nag your child to make these good choices, then it means your child’s environment is encouraging bad choices.
Eliminate Temptation and You Can Eliminate Nagging
When your child is repeatedly facing situations where bad choices are the first option then it’s your fault not theirs. When kids have temptation all around it’s nearly impossible to practice self-control. Adults can’t even do this, let alone kids. That is why the best way for parents to help their child make good choices is to consistently put their kids in situations to make good choices so that it becomes habit.
If you want to help your child to make good eating decisions for example, then remove all the bad food from the home. This is obviously a burden to the entire family, but you can’t expect your child to do something you aren’t willing to do. You won’t have to nag them about eating right when eating right is the only option.
If you want to help your child make good screen time decisions, then remove the TV, phone, computer, and other devices from their bedroom when it’s time to sleep and study. Also, as a weaker alternative consider using common sense parental controls on all tech in the home. In addition, work harder to provide alternative entertainment options based on what is innately motivating their desire for screen time.
Bottom line is this. Teaching your child to choose what’s good for them over what feels good to them comes down to parental decisions like these. There is no way around it.