Go team GO!!!

In the past few months, I've evaluated my life, my priorities, and everything in between.

I've come to realize how important my family truly means to me. Whether you get along or not, you'll never get another MOM or DAD, you'll never get the same CHILD, and you can't take back your mistakes.

Although I'm still learning as I go, the mistakes I make, my son and my family suffer the reprecussions with me. If I'm angry, sad, mad, upset, etc...They're forced to experience these emotions with me. If I make a bad decision, they're connected to me in some fashion, and it affects their life, as well.

I've listened to many people tell me about their relationship(s), I've experienced this in my own relationships, as well, it's vital for you as a parent to support your child. Many people have grown-up resenting their parents for not attending their sports games as a child, for not coming to important events during their childhood such as graduation, the signing of their college scholarship, taking pictures of their prom, etc... Most of these people are MEN.

These MEN have trust issues, along with self-esteem issues. If their mother could leave them, or not care about these important events, anyone could leave them. If their father chose to not attend, to not care, or support them as a child, would/could anyone?

These are important factors in a child's life, in their personal growth as a person, and their development from adolescence into an adult. The old sayings "Like mother, like daughter", "Like father, like son", "The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree" come to mind... If you have qualities about yourself, you don't particularly like, or don't represent the best person you can be at any given moment, get rid of them. There's always someone watching you - your child!

If you break the bond between you and your child, you're programming them with disaster. When you don't attend their sporting events to show support and love for their interests, it hurts them. If their parent(s) can hurt them, the ones who are responsible for them, anyone can hurt them. If they can't count on you, why would they believe they could count on anyone else? This may seem like something simple, but in the eyes of a child it's significant. You can't go back and create it differently later. You can't fix it. You can't mold clay after it has already dried. It's impossible.

Be the parent you wanted your parents to be, be the parent your parents strived to be, or be the parents everybody wants their parents to be, especially during their youth. A child needs support, not criticism. A child needs love, not neglect. The absence of love, brews the emotion of hate...

ASK YOURSELF HOW YOU'D FEEL WITHOUT YOUR PARENTS? OR HOW YOU FELT WITHOUT YOUR PARENTS? DO YOU WANT TO INFLICT PAIN ON ANOTHER INNOCENT SOUL? Talk to your heart, I'm sure it wants what is best for the both of you. Support your child no matter what decision they make or sport they play. The rest of their life depends on YOU.