In Search of Greatness

I just watched a documentary called “The Greatest of All Time,” about what makes pro athletes amazing at what they do. It was so good. Fascinating really. If I were to sum up what makes them great it would be creativity. 

Studies have shown that sporty kids who have had an opportunity to have free play are better at the game than their counterparts. Mind blown! 

Studies have also showed that people who come up with new ideas and inventions,  breakthrough performances and skills, are people who ask the question, why? 

What’s more, every pro athlete had a passion for what they were doing and they were having fun while doing it. 

Over and over and over again, as a parent, I think we have to find the line between pushing our children to do something and letting them figure things out on their own. Man, it is a balance and I am constantly trying to fine tune it. My inner dialogue on the regular: “Does one child need a nudge to do this? Wait, he or she really doesn’t like that? Maybe I should stop nudging and try something else.” Or “He or she is loving what they’re doing. Maybe the practices were less than ideal, but the outcome is good.” And then I have to do this differently for every kid! Whew!

I recently attended a baby shower for a friend. We were asked to give advice. Mine was lame and I said something that had to do with getting a pack-n-play for vacations. Wow, a parent of four and that’s all I had to give? Anyhow, I digress. My friend sitting next to me saved the moment and gave some great advice. She said, “Never compare your child to someone else’s.” Can I get an “Amen!”?

There are things that are extremely popular in some cultures, neighborhoods, whatever and there are other things that aren’t as celebrated. Football in the South, academics back East, free thinking in the Northwest. These are generalizations and Jess would tell me to be wary of what we assume is true about a group. And he would be right and that’s just the point. Sometimes as parents we assume the one thing our kid needs to be doing is what everyone else’s kid is doing and we fail to see the magic and amazement that is original to them. 

At the end of this documentary, one of the experts being interviewed said that sometimes we glaze over individuals who have amazing skills because we want them to fit inside what we’ve deemed the pathway to success. However, we are a diverse group, humankind, and there are so many paths. 

Lots of rambling, but getting to the point. I’m learning that we must let our kids play, we shouldn’t over schedule them (if they don’t want to be), and we must let them be themselves. Okay…wait! I think I now know what advice I should give at the next baby shower.