Aug. 5, 2009 - How To NOT Motivate Your Child
I've been sitting through Abby's swimming lessons for the last couple of weeks. There is a boy in her class who is struggling with some of his strokes. Here are some of the things I've heard his mom yell to him from the side of the pool:
"You keep swimming and don't you dare stop!"
"Come on! Don't be such a wimp!"
"Don't be such a drama queen!"
It makes me sad. Maybe this boy is difficult and high maintenance at home. That takes a lot of work for a mom - I get that. But how can you expect your child to improve when you're yelling negative things at him from the sidelines? I want to be a cheerleader.
