We are in a race the Bible says. We need to always be on our toes to fight the enemy, at least to be watchful. Competition is a fact of life. There is competition in many parts of life...college, trying out for plays or sports, interviews for jobs, among other things. Those are parts of life that we must face and learn how to deal with while we are young. I think that as parents, we need to help guide the competitive spirit, help our children to have self control, and encourage them to be gracious and humble when losing becomes a sad fact for them. Sports for children offer a great way to learn team work, and goal setting.
[Check out Make Life Meaningful Monday. My friend Michelle, shares her thoughts about goal setting and its importance in life. She inspired me to write this blog entry, and is also helping me along with learning about blogging. (Thanks Michelle!)]
All of that to say...so far, my children have not been part of any organized sports. It requires a little creativity, not to mention a good savings plan, to enable my children to be involved in sports. Unfortunately it is costly to do, when there are five children who all want to participate. I have it on my heart and mind (and bank account), to make this work for the following school year.
In the meantime, while our finances are establishing, we are encouraging our children to set some goals and compete in 4-H. My children love 4-H. They do compete on county and state levels, but mostly they compete against themselves. Against themselves? Procrastination, laziness, or lack of creativity or preparation are some of the most common setbacks that homeschool children can suffer when it comes to competitive activities. 4-H encourages children to step up, and battle those internal issues in order to win, to receive a ribbon, and to be able to compete on the next level. There are many other reasons why I love 4-H, and I could go on, but will stop here for now. If anyone is interested in more information about 4-H, or have questions about it, please comment and I will be happy to answer.
Again, Thanks to Michelle Changed by the Maker for inspiring the blog idea. ~~~Melissa
[Check out Make Life Meaningful Monday. My friend Michelle, shares her thoughts about goal setting and its importance in life. She inspired me to write this blog entry, and is also helping me along with learning about blogging. (Thanks Michelle!)]
All of that to say...so far, my children have not been part of any organized sports. It requires a little creativity, not to mention a good savings plan, to enable my children to be involved in sports. Unfortunately it is costly to do, when there are five children who all want to participate. I have it on my heart and mind (and bank account), to make this work for the following school year.
In the meantime, while our finances are establishing, we are encouraging our children to set some goals and compete in 4-H. My children love 4-H. They do compete on county and state levels, but mostly they compete against themselves. Against themselves? Procrastination, laziness, or lack of creativity or preparation are some of the most common setbacks that homeschool children can suffer when it comes to competitive activities. 4-H encourages children to step up, and battle those internal issues in order to win, to receive a ribbon, and to be able to compete on the next level. There are many other reasons why I love 4-H, and I could go on, but will stop here for now. If anyone is interested in more information about 4-H, or have questions about it, please comment and I will be happy to answer.
Again, Thanks to Michelle Changed by the Maker for inspiring the blog idea. ~~~Melissa
