Use MACE to Work with “Difficult” Parents

I haven’t done it, but my best guess would be that if I surveyed gym club owner and coaches and asked them why they got into coaching not a single one would say “because I love to deal with difficult parents.”  And yet, if in my theoretical survey I asked how many have to deal with […]

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9 Reasons It Is Hard to Let Kids Fail (and How a Butterfly Can Help)

“Let your child fail!” seems to be a common theme of parents education these days.  This blog included; educators across the nation urge parents to let their child fail. And if you are a parent, the very use of the word “fail“ next to the phrase “your child” probably takes your breath away at least […]

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Take a Break from the Bleachers: 10 Reasons NOT to Watch Practice

Confession: I am a recovered bleacher creature. When my kids were little, I loved to watch my daughters’ dance classes and gymnastics classes. Too much so. Sure, I rationalized my (over) involvement by telling myself that it was to far to drive home (it wasn’t), that I was just being supportive (that did not require […]

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Grounding your Helicopter Parent: 7 Questions To Ask Yourself When You Are Tempted to Intervene

There is a fine line between being a concerned and supportive parent and being a helicopter parent. I know that struggle to walk along that line, and I see so many caring parents trying to navigate it as well.   Let’s face it: it’s really hard to see our kids in pain. But it’s also hard […]

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