Ask Amy: Youth sports commitments spark responses
– Fellow Supportive Parent
Dear Amy: “J”’s dilemma resonated with my spouse and me.
We recently became empty nesters and spent years on the sidelines and in the bleachers.
If we had to do it all over again, we would have attended more family functions and scheduled more downtime.
Yes, I wish we had let our children occasionally be idle and “just be.”
Playing sports and learning the value of teamwork and collaboration are important lifelong skills, yet there needs to be a balance.
The majority of adolescents and young adults will not go on to be professional athletes.
Growing up, my parents insisted that my siblings and I must attend every family event unless we were working.
Sadly, because as parents we did not do the same, this year we spent a birthday and Father’s Day on our own.
We wholeheartedly agree that it would be demonstrating important family values to miss a tournament or practice to support extended family members by attending celebrations or funerals.
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