Batter Up!
by Bob Collier
Imagine I'm playing baseball and I've come up to bat. And
there on the mound ahead of me is one of the toughest
pitchers I've ever faced.
I wonder what would happen if I did this.
I walk over to the pitcher, doff my cap ever so politely to
him, and I say, "Excuse me, but would you mind not throwing
me anything too fast? I want to score plenty of runs today.
What about nothing faster than 60mph? No, let's make it
fifty.
"And I'd be grateful if you didn't throw me any of your
curve balls, either. Or any of those sliders that I've had
so much trouble with. And definitely no beanballs, thanks!
"In fact, what I'd really like you to throw me is some nice
gentle dolly-droppers that I can whack over the fence. Would
that be alright?"
Of course it wouldn't be alright!
Baseball's not like that. Nor is parenting.
Whatever we may have learned from our society or culture,
the biological fact is that our children want what they
want, the same as we want what *we* want. And, in trying to
get what they want, our children are going to use whatever
is in their repertoire at the time. The same as we do in
trying to satisfy our own desires.
If I'm at the bat looking for a safe hit or an occasional
home run, I'm perfectly aware that the pitcher is looking
for a way to get me out - and he'll be trying his hardest
to do it, too, if he's got any sense. It goes with the game.
My success is up to me. That means I have to pay attention
to what *I* need to do in order to get what I want. In other
words, my focus has to be on developing, using and
constantly improving my batting skills.
Then I can confidently allow the pitcher to do whatever the
pitcher does.
Copyright (c) 2002, Bob Collier
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Bob Collier is a father of two who publishes a free weekly
ezine called "Parental Intelligence" dedicated to
discovering and promoting the world's best parenting ideas
and methods.
You can read a sample issue of Parental Intelligence at:
http://www.topica.com/lists/pintelor subscribe by sending a blank email to:
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