So Friday's writing prompt at NaBloPoMo was "What's the first thing that pops into your mind when you think of your father?"
Answer: getting my butt kicked playing one on one. Wasn't hard. He was 6 feet tall and I was much shorter. Plus, he could pretty much palm the ball and I was never extremely coordinated.
He never let me win, which is okay. While he got a kick out of my efforts, I'm sure, he didn't bother to stroke my ego by throwing a game. I've never quite understood the reasoning behind playing a game with a kid and screwing up so they can win. It kind of implies that you think that's the only way they could beat you. I know the idea is to increase their confidence but once they figure out (and they will figure it out) that you let them win, they will most likely not take kindly to your "kindness". About the only time it makes sense is when you're playing Candyland with your 4-year-old. And if you can't handle losing at that idiotic game to a 4-year-old, you should avoid competition.
That pretty much sums up "how a raise a kid according to my Dad". Treat your kid like an intelligent human being and that might just be what you end up with. Teaching that life isn't always fair can be as simple as playing one on one, and probably a lot easier than other methods. Be there when it counts.
Miss you, big guy.
1 comment:
I miss him, too! The first thing that comes to mind when I think of him is that time when I did some weird, goofy thing (I can't remember what, because, really, when wasn't I doing some weird, goofy thing?) and you said you were never that strange and he just stared at you and laughed.
-Eldest
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