Sports as a Means to Bond with your Grandkids
If you’re looking to make the most of your time with your grandkids, sports will never disappoint you as a means to bond with them. Sports is not only great for their upbringing but can also prove wonders for your health and wellness. Moreover, your unwavering support will be key in their development in sports as they navigate this competitive and challenging sphere. As a grandparent, you can provide the safe space in which your grandkid can feel comfortable in sharing their challenges and anxieties with you without the fear of judgement. Most importantly, don’t underestimate the years of experience you have on- and off-field that has made you a wise and more patient guide compared to your grandkid’s coach or either of his parents.
Today’s parents are hard-pressed between extremely demanding jobs and other responsibilities that make them burn out to the point that they’re not able to meet their kids’ growing need for support when it comes to sports. With such long hours at work and anxieties that come with meeting the family’s financial needs, parents can barely make time to help with school work, let alone helping their kids excel at sports. If you’re retired and have time on your hands, you can fill this gap by being the supportive guide in the budding athlete’s life. Here are three practical ways you can encourage your grandkids to play sports as well as support them in this endeavor:
1. Drive them to their practice.
Sadly, sometimes kids fall behind in their favorite sports because their parents don’t have the time to drive them to their stadium/field. With this kind of inconsistency in their practice, kids don’t perform as well resulting in decreased interest in the sport. You can change their situation by offering to drive your grandkid to their favorite sports. Not only will your son/daughter thank you, it will also be a great opportunity to foster a close bond with your grandkid.
2. Encourage them through comforting words.
Often kids find it difficult to be frank with their father about the challenges they face on the field. They are worried about being criticized by their dad and pushed to unhealthy levels of strenuous exercise. This is where a grandparent can step in and lend a kind ear to their grandkid’s anxieties and provide positive reinforcement. Such a relationship gives rise to positive spaces where the kid feels comfortable enough to talk about their losses and other issues such as dealing with bullies in the form of sports mates and even coaches.
3. Make sports a fun activity.
If your grandkid is not in sports, take every opportunity to incorporate sports into the activities you do together. Make watching competitive sports together a family tradition. Throw in some popcorn and candy and get them their favorite team’s jersey and hat so they can show off their pride. Do they have a birthday coming up? Make it a sports-theme party and invite their friends to play a match together and have a prize ready for the winning team. As they mature, they will view you as the reason for their passion in sports.
