How do you know??

What makes a GREAT person? I have three kids to raise, I would like to know the answer though I know there isn’t just ONE answer out there!!

If my kids aren’t in the very BEST schools are they going to fail as an adult? If I don’t put them in competitive sports will they not learn to try their hardest and push themselves? If I never take them to Disney World will the never experience joy and excitement?

What if I only enroll them in a good school? What if they are only in recreational sports that emphasize FUN? What if the only amusement park they ever see is the weekend carnival that when it leaves town it just leaves a bunch of garbage?

Do the kids that do get to experience these things, do they know that they are special? Is that what it is? Can my kids just be special because Daddy took the day off to spend time with them? Would that work? Or are the other kids really different because they have a place to be 3 nights a week where they work on that one sport/activity? Or because the school they go to is tip top?

Do I want perfection? Sure, it is always fun to be the winner! Who doesn’t want to win? Human nature is to WANT to win! But what makes a better person? One that always wins, or one that learns that you can’t win all the time? Or maybe that is what is wrong these days, maybe I have told my kids one too many times that they can’t ALWAYS win, and so they don’t try their hardest anymore. I really don’t know.

I have never forced my kids to do sports, however I also don’t let them quit. Buddy wanted sooooooo badly to play t-ball when he was 4, almost 5. We signed him up. We went to the first practice, he did pretty good. He had always loved balls. The next time, he didn’t want to participate. But I wouldn’t let him quit. I actually had to carry him from base to base, but by golly he WAS going around those bases!!

Buddy has been in plain old regular sports. He wins, he loses, he has fun! Bug has been in the same plain old regular sports, along with dance for 6 years, where she was just a plain ol’ regular dancer. I am very proud of both their achievements, they have both grown immensely in their skills. Buddy took up a sport I never thought he would do, he started hockey last year. He loves it. It was so much fun watching his skills progress throughout the season. He has come a long way since his T-ball days! Bug took this last year off from dance, but is returning in September. We debated a “better” studio, but are just going with a community ed type class.

I don’t want my kids living and breathing for their sport. I don’t know if it is a good or bad thing, and I am not debating it either way. I just don’t want that for them. Well, I am not making that choice for them! If Bug came home and said “Mom, I REALLY want to dance at studio XYZ, can I try out and see I can dance there?” Tim and I would consider it.

We love their school! Is that enough? We live in a good district, have great programs within the school and community education. The kids teachers have always been helpful and we can always tell they truly care about the kids.

Am I doing something wrong by not putting them in the best of the best?? I really don’t know.

One thing I DO know, and it makes me proud.

As you know this was the last week of school for my kids. They have brought home a lot of project and things they have written in the last year of school. Here is something that Buddy wrote…

Age: 35

Married with kids

Occupation: Professional Hockey Player

Greatest Success: Being a good dad.