The Good Life - Nov-Dec 2013
The areas premier men’s magazine featuring inspirational men in our community. Covering a variety of topics including local heroes, fathers, sports and advice for men.
The areas premier men’s magazine featuring inspirational men in our community. Covering a variety of topics including local heroes, fathers, sports and advice for men.
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team, calmly explain to your child that you disagree.<br />
You can say things like:<br />
• “Oh, it’s too bad the referee made that call. I like<br />
to see my team win fair and square.”<br />
• “I wish that player wouldn’t behave that way. I’m<br />
always a little embarrassed to watch a grownup who<br />
doesn’t know how to control himself.”<br />
2. Manage your anger appropriately.<br />
I really don’t like it when the Chiefs are losing. In<br />
fact, when I’m watching a game alone, I’ve been known<br />
to blow off a little steam. But when your children are<br />
watching a game with you, it is important that you<br />
manage your anger and disappointment.<br />
If your team plays its heart out and still loses, you<br />
have an opportunity to teach your children that you<br />
will love them even if they make mistakes or fail.<br />
Sure, it’s okay to be disappointed, but being angry<br />
or mocking a team’s performance just because they<br />
lose sends your kid a negative message: I’ll stop loving<br />
you if you fail. If you haven’t done it in a while, maybe<br />
this weekend would be a good time to come right out<br />
and tell your child: “I will always love you no matter<br />
what — even when you fail, mess up or make bad<br />
decisions.”<br />
3. Encourage goal-setting.<br />
This is a good opportunity to talk to your children<br />
about hard work and goal setting. Be sure your<br />
children know how much you admire athletes for<br />
their hard work and discipline. You can say things<br />
like:<br />
• “Can you imagine how much work it took for<br />
Aaron Rodgers to get to this place? Look at that arm!<br />
How many times do you think he’s thrown a football?”<br />
• “I really admire the discipline required to be<br />
a professional athlete. While the rest of the world<br />
was slacking off in front of the TV, these guys were<br />
practicing for hours on end.”<br />
And on a related note, it won’t hurt to show that<br />
you admire strength wherever it is displayed. Show<br />
appreciation for the other team’s hard work, even<br />
when they are beating your team.<br />
4. Remember the bigger picture.<br />
Sports have always been a great analogy for life.<br />
You can tell a lot about a player, a coach, or a fan by<br />
the way they celebrate victories, by the way they treat<br />
their teammates and opponents, and by the way they<br />
recover from setbacks.<br />
You see, football is about a lot more than football.<br />
And remember ... Thanksgiving is about a lot more<br />
than football, too. Thanksgiving is about shifting your<br />
perspective, remembering to count your blessings,<br />
and focusing on your family and all of the love they<br />
bring into your life.<br />
So go around the table and voice your appreciation<br />
for all things, little and small. Be sure that you are<br />
engaged with your family and focused on what truly<br />
matters. If the game is distracting, by all means ...<br />
turn it off!<br />
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