At the end of the day, who has the last say?

When did it happen? When did we say it was
"ok" for coaches or band or drama directors
to run our children's lives? Often when I go
to church on Sunday and I listen to our
Pastor he talks about priorities in families.
His message is about the need to make faith
a priority in our children's lives because
often times games, or productions or what
have you, take priority over going to church
or participating in youth programs. I see it
every day when we have parents that sign
their teens up for driver training and get
totally frustrated because they can't find
enough time in a week to get "everything"
done. They can't make a class because their
football practice runs for six hours on a
Saturday or the coach called a last minute
practice and if the student has other
priorities and doesn't come - they'll get
kicked off the team. Really? Is this what
we want for our kids? The question keeps
coming up for me - why? Why do we, as their
parents, continue to allow this to happen?
Is it that we think they have a shot at a
sport's scholarship for college, or they
might make it in the big leagues, so we think
it's necessary? Or are we living vicariously
through our children and watching them out on
the field makes us feel good. What is it
that drives this behavior?



What concerns me most is the short cuts
parents take in order to "allow" this to
continue to happen. While I recognize the
need for students to be involved in
extra-curricular activities - must it take
over their lives? We know for a fact that
motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause
of death for teenagers, but when push comes
to shove do we choose sports practice over
driving practice, band camp over driving
lessons? Are we putting our kids out on the
road with little to no training and even less
practice because other things got in the way?
I am writing this article as a thought
provoker. Is this really what we want for
our kids? Have the coaches and directors
gone too far? If so, how do we get back to
what really IS "in the best interest of our
children?" How do they stay involved, but
also gain balance and focus on what is really
important? Parents, this is our job. Do you
really think that football, baseball,
basketball, cheer, band, drama, golf - you
name it is so critically important that it
MUST take precedence over anything else in
their lives? If this is how prioritizing
happens at this young and impressionable age,
what chance do they have for achieving a real
balance in life when they become adults and
one-day parents? Is this frenzied life what
we really want for our kids? I would welcome
dialogue on this topic.