Don’t let social media get in the way of enjoying your kids playing
Social media has become an everyday part of our lives. Even more than that, it’s something that we check every few hours. With the ability to connect with all of our friends and teammates across multiple platforms, sharing pictures, notes, and messages has never been easier. It’s a great way to stay up to date on everything going on in the lives of family and friends.
Parents often share exciting moments and accomplishments online because they are proud of their kids. However, some parents may be frustrated and they find themselves wondering why everyone else’s kids seem to be winning trophies and scoring goals. This can drop you into a “have” versus “have not” state where you worry you aren’t keeping up with other families or, even worse, not doing what’s best for your child.
Guest post by the OMHA
The Ontario Minor Hockey Association serves a community of more than 100,000 players in 225 minor hockey associations in Ontario.
It’s important not to get lost or upset seeing everyone else “winning”.
Online, people show their kids at their best, and their kids’ accomplishments when they are outstanding. The “before” photos of a skater falling on the ice won’t make your social media newsfeed. What will appear online are the final moments “after” all the hard work of trying, over and over.
Youth sports should be a source of enjoyment for players. Your kids spending time with teammates and friends should be more important than how many “Likes” a picture gets. Just because you don’t have a trophy picture to post every weekend doesn’t make you a bad parent. We know there are plenty of pictures you can share of your kids smiling on the ice.
Get into the right mindset about how you view your child playing sports. It can give you a whole new perspective.
Children don’t develop in their sport consistently. There are ups and downs and everyone progresses at a different rate.
Instead of asking, “Why don’t I have this?” focus on, “Look how much fun my kid is having!”
Enjoy the time your child has playing hockey. Those moments won’t last forever.
