Brittney came home late from school today with a new haircut. Apparently she went right from school to the hairdresser. Her long blonde hair and ponytail are gone, replaced by very short hair that almost sticks up. She calls it a 'miley', after Miley Cirus or someone. It's going to take some getting used to on my part. And then right before she went upstairs to get ready for the dance she tells me she's not sure she wants to play soccer next year. I know Jamie is the driving force behind this. When I firmly told her that she definitely is going to play next season she hesitateted and then started to cry. She said she means it, she's tired of soccer and might need a break. She then ran up to her room.
Kaitlyn's reaction was also subdued. She was happy to hear she made teams at both clubs but didn't have an opinion as to which as better. I said we would discuss it tomorrow morning. For someone who has offers from two different clubs and has an important decision to make, this was not the appropriate reaction. And finally when I told Cole about making a KCSA team he said he just wanted to play baseball in the fall.
And with that thought I poured myself another.
You can bring a horse to water, but you can't make her drink. Sounds like you have a herd of horses who aren't very thirsty...
ReplyDeleteSome people call it "a Miley" and some call it "an Ellen" depends on who you're talking to. Works fine on the soccer field -- look at the Women's National team and you will see a few of these (Rapinoe for one).
ReplyDeleteYou obviously haven't found the right motivation for your kids, they all rather sit around, smoke cigarettes, and do their homework. Or worse, play baseball.
Some of the most successful Soccer Moms have found that the right incentive can do the job when a kid's internal motivation is flagging. It can be different for different kids -- for some kids it might be more time spent with friends for playing and playing well. For some it might be time at home to do whatever they want (e.g., in their room alone). For others it might be items such as clothing, electronics, bikes, cars, etc. When all else fails, try cold, hard cash.
Of course, none of this works if you are spoiling your children and they want for nothing. That is where long-term strategy and planning come into play.
It isn't too late...