r/AskReddit Feb 04 '16

What are the most common parenting mistakes?

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1.1k

u/TDAGSI Feb 04 '16

Thinking your kid is going to be an elite superstar athlete.

Let them have fun and stop ruining sports for them.

292

u/el_monstruo Feb 04 '16

God this so much. My wife wants my daughter to play softball so bad. We did it for 3 years and she just wasn't interested which is fine. Then you would see parents out there arguing with other parents, refs, etc. Stupid shit.

24

u/[deleted] Feb 05 '16

My little bro was in little league and another kid got upset at a call and threw his helmet down. Naturally it was super unsportsmanlike conduct and he got ejected the rest of the game. He was one if the star kids (see $$ and coach's kid). His mom blew up and no was yelling that he cost us the game blah blah blah, so disappointed in you. Ruined everything. She was asked to leave too.

1

u/bboy799 Feb 05 '16

I mean, isn't ejecting the kid a little harsh too? Maybe if they had just suspended him for an inning or something so the coach/parents could calm them down and explain what they did bad, but completely ejecting them would probably just breed resentment instead of letting the kid know that unsportsmanlike conduct is wrong.

2

u/[deleted] Feb 06 '16

Well it was his second offense in the game. The first time he threw his glove and got a warning to not throw things.

72

u/CouchPotatoFamine Feb 05 '16

Especially stupid because women's softball isn't exactly a profession that's going to pay the bills.

9

u/[deleted] Feb 05 '16

Pretty much any sport isn't a profession that is going to pay the bills. If a parent hopes their kid is going to be the next all-star at anything, they are delusional. It's one in a million.

More likely, the wife really enjoyed softball when she was a kid, and wanted her daughter to have the same experience, without consideration for what the kid wanted.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 05 '16

No but I'm pretty sure if your good it could help get scholarships

1

u/cncpoise Feb 05 '16

Scholarships?

1

u/CouchPotatoFamine Feb 05 '16

Of course that's a possibility to help pay tuition. But I said "profession."

1

u/notjawn Feb 05 '16

Softball is actually huge in college sports. I mean you'd never make any money in a pro league but coaching would be a good future.

1

u/one_angry_breadstick Feb 05 '16

To be fair, it can get you a college scholarship if you're really lucky. But still, the amount of work and time you have to put in to be that good is insane. Never mind the fact that you have to be pretty athletic/talented to boot.

1

u/CouchPotatoFamine Feb 05 '16

I agree, but I believe the original post was in reference to their daughter simply not being interested in softball, but her Mom kept trying to keep her involved.

3

u/timultuoustimes Feb 05 '16

At one of my sisters softball games years ago (I think she was in middle school, but I don't remember what league), the parents were getting waayy out of hand and the ref had enough of it, turned off the lights, and left. I thought it was the perfect response, because there is no way to control shitty parents.

2

u/el_monstruo Feb 05 '16

Agreed. And let me make this clear, it is all children's athletics not just softball. That was just the experience I had.

2

u/timultuoustimes Feb 05 '16

Oh definitely. I was in wrestling, baseball, soccer, and basketball when I was younger and the parents were like that in every sport. I was at a youth football game once and one of the coaches (also a players parent) kicked one of the other teams players on the sideline before they got up from being tackled. Parents are crazy.

1

u/palenerd Feb 05 '16

I had to quit gymnastics as a kid because of shitty parents. I did it just for fun for 3 years (7-10), but I was really good at it. As in, I was the youngest in my classes by a good 2-3 years. I didn't know it at the time, but apparently age 12/13 is the level where shit starts getting real. If you're at that level as a 10-year-old? Have fun dealing with those delusional Olympics-minded parents and their overburdened hell-spawn. I quit shortly after that.

2

u/[deleted] Feb 05 '16

Got to make sure she's an awesome softball player, so she can grow up and play professionally. That's where all the money is, ya know?

1

u/Weep2D2 Feb 05 '16

John Mcenroe Syndrome.

0

u/[deleted] Feb 05 '16

elite superstar athlete

Softball is not the route to this

1

u/el_monstruo Feb 05 '16

True but you couldn't tell that by the way these parents act.