Janis B. Meredith's Blog: JBM Thinks Sportsparenting, page 26

Listening: 4 Traits of a Parent Who Listens Well

Do you do more talking than listening as you parent? It’s a habit that many parents have. I did it a lot because I felt that my words would fix my kids and that they certainly needed to hear what I had to say! But I’ve come to learn, through my 30 years of parenting,...

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5 Enemies of Having Fun in Youth Sports

Having fun in youth sports should not be the only goal, but it’s a very important part of the game. However, every season some very subtle enemies lurk around the ball field and the court, just waiting to rob you and your child of the fun of playing sports. If you meet one of these...

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How to Be Sure Your Child’s Youth Sports Coach is Really Listening to You

How did your child’s youth sports coach respond the last time you went to him or her with a problem? Coaches may nod their heads and smile, but there’s always a chance that they are only hearing you, and not really listening. Coaches hear every parent that confronts them, but there is a big difference...

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5 Things I Want My Kids to REALLY KNOW in 2018

  Whether you are a parent of a 5, 15, or 25-year-old, it’s always good to take a hard look at how you are doing at parenting. This year, I want to be sure that there are some things my kids really, really know, and in order for them to know these things, I will...

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5 Keys to Raising Fearless Children

Raising fearless children, whether on the ball field or in the classroom, is a goal of every good parent. But what if your athlete struggles with fear? Fear of failure? Fear of risk? Fear of not being good enough? Where does this fear come from? It shows up in children without any warning and  you...

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10 Unexpected Things You Can Expect in Youth Sports

Every youth sports parent should embark on the youth sports journey remembering the quote first uttered by playwright Oscar Wild: To expect the unexpected shows a thoroughly modern intellect.  Expect the unexpected is a perfect prediction of what will happen when your child plays sports. After 22 years of being a sports mom, I can guarantee that...

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Top Youth Sports Injuries,Part 5: Smart Habits for Athletic Recovery

  This is the fifth and final week in the series Top Youth Sports Injuries series sponsored by the UHealth Sports Medicine Institute, part of the University of Miami health system. UHealth is paying me for these posts because they believe strongly in the importance of a safe youth sports experience for every young athlete. This week, the focus is...

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Do You Know The Facts About Youth Sports Injuries?

This post is a paid advertisement by Securian Financial Group, Inc. Securian and its affiliates help provide financial security to individuals, families and businesses in the form of insurance, investments and retirement plans. All opinions expressed here are my own. In the U.S., more than 3.5 million youth sports injuries occur in children and teens...

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Here’s One Word That Will Change the Game in Youth Sports

There’s a lot of talk about how to change the game in youth sports, a lot of really good ideas that are ultimately aimed at getting rid of negativity that permeates todays competitive culture. I feel the antidote to negativity in youth sports can be summed up in one word: gratitude. Not simply saying please...

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3 Reasons You are feeling Youth Sports Stress and How to Handle It

Although youth sports is supposed to be a fun experience for you and your child, it’s inevitable that youth sports stress (read the signs here) will creep in. After all, competition comes with pressure and that pressure affects sports parents in a multitude of ways. What stresses you out about youth sports? The busy-ness? The...

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