Our Words and Actions Matter

This weekend, my son had a soccer game. He was so excited. We all were. On the way there, he came up with a game goal to help him try his best. He wanted to make five goals and pass to other players. He said he loved his teammates and wanted them to score too.

When we got to the game, he ran out and started stretching with his team. After stretching, the team started warming up. Each child was told to do five skills. My son was focusing and working on his skills when a parent of a child on his team started yelling at his kid (since his child apparently was not focusing and did three skills instead of five). The parent called his child an a** three times while scolding. It broke my heart while watching it. The child went back on the field and did his two other skills while crying. The coach went over to the child and tried to encourage him and help him feel better, but you could tell his spirit was broken. The whole team then felt his sadness. My son was worried about him. The atmosphere at the game changed. It is crazy how one person can turn the mood around.

Being a parent is rough. There are times when you get so frustrated and angry. But as adults, it is our job to show love and grace towards our children. It is our job to build up their confidence and encourage them. It is also our job to discipline them with care and not break their spirits. As parents, we set the tone and environment for our children. A child is more likely to perform in a nurturing and loving environment. Knowing this, I started cheering for all of the kids and telling them they were doing a great job. Other parents joined in. Then, the kids joined in too. It ended up lifting the dark cloud that was put over the game.

 I know that everyday hold its challenges. Raising a special needs child adds even more stress. I just wanted to encourage all of us to remember that we bring sunshine to our child’s day through our loving actions and uplifting words. We all need a little grace.