Parent-Child Communication

Parents who set boundaries and expectations for their teenage daughters but encouraged independence within those limits were better able to gauge their child's mood, provide feedback on their child's sports performance at the right time, and maintain open lines of communication, a new Canadian study finds.

No matter how talented your child may be, there are going to days when he doesn't play his best, or when, despite his best effort, his team loses.  How you manage both the ups, and the inevitable downs, will play a large role in whether your child has a successful youth sports experience.  Here are ten things to keep in mind after your child's team loses or he doesn't perform up to his expectations.

Women, particularly the mothers who volunteer, are often the backbone of what makes a youth sports team work smoothly.
Unfortunately, as with Dads, when it comes to their own child's sports
team, a mom's greatest strengths can become weaknesses that can cause
problems for her child and his/her coach.  A veteran sports moms offers five tips to moms on how to make their child's sports experience more enjoyable.

Kids, especially under twelve, are always seeking their parents' approval. Negative labels and generalizations and criticism can have a devastating emotional impact. If you critique your child's performance, she will interpret your anger, disapproval, and disappointment as meaning that you don't love her anymore-that your love is conditional.

The last thing a child needs to hear is a parent giving coaching pointers or putting pressure on them to perform. What they want most is unconditional support and encouragement, not criticism. Just knowing their Mom or Dad is in the stands is enough to make a child happy.