Don't consciousness blameworthy if you can't marque it to your kids' after-school sports practices, says two-time Olympic golden medalist Abby Wambach.
Leaving your kids with their teammates and coaches — without your supervision — tin marque them much resilient, conscientious and internally motivated athletes, the erstwhile U.S. Women's National Team shot star said successful an Oct. 21 interrogation connected NBC's "TODAY Show." All of those traits tin help them turn up to become palmy adults, parenting experts say.
"Drop your kids disconnected ... Sit successful your car, play connected your phone, bash immoderate you privation to do, work a book, spell for a walk, but bash not spell to the practice," said Wambach, a subordinate of the National Soccer Hall of Fame who present has 3 step-children of her own. "This is simply a clip for your kids to play, to not beryllium looking implicit their shoulders [to spot if a genitor is watching]."
If a kid looks implicit and sees their genitor looking astatine them connected the sideline, it could "outsource their motivation" and marque them either tense oregon overly driven to impress, Wambach said successful a Sept. 23 episode of her "Welcome to the Party" podcast.
Nothing should "encumber them from trying thing new, taking a risk, making a mistake, trying something, being successful," said Wambach, adding: "We privation our kids to beryllium self-starters and internally motivated."
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Internally motivated children are much apt to go adults who ever strive to bash their best, nary substance who's watching. Encouraging kids to make a consciousness of bureau tin likewise assistance them go self-motivated and palmy adults, neuropsychologist William Stixrud said successful a March 28 episode of the "Raising Good Humans" podcast.
″[Your] ngo is not to marque definite that they crook retired a definite mode oregon that they ever bash well, [but] to assistance them fig retired who they privation to be, what benignant of beingness they privation and however to make the beingness that they want," said Stixrud. "So that they tin yet tally their ain beingness earlier they permission home."
When you bash spell to your kids' sports games, don't springiness them pointers connected however to tally faster oregon footwear harder, Wambach recommended connected her podcast. Instead, "deemphasize the outcomes of winning oregon losing and overemphasize the acts of leadership" by pointing retired erstwhile they oregon different players are bully teammates.
Ask your child, "What did you spot retired determination contiguous that was a peculiar triumph that had thing to bash with the people line?" Wambach said. "Did you spot your teammate cheering? Did you prime up the cones for your manager without being asked?"
Disclosure: NBC and CNBC are divisions of NBCUniversal.
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