Parents work hard to help their children succeed. Whether it’s helping them with their homework, getting them to sports practice, or anything else, they do a lot. Jamie Griffith, a mother of two, says that helping your kids problem-solve can make a big difference.
“They need to know what they are working for and towards,” she said. “They need to know that they are not able to be good at everything, they have to pick what they want to be good at and work their tails off for it. We have had a lot of talks about this at our house; they have finally backed off to being two-sport kids instead of four-sport kids. It was hard, but they had to weigh what was worth their time, what was their priority or passion. In the end, they chose well.”
Jamie’s eldest, Macy, is a junior at Cushing High School, where she plays fastpitch and slowpitch softball. Grady, who is in the eighth grade, plays football and baseball for Cushing Middle School.
While she enjoys being the parent of athletes, Griffith says that there are times when it is tough to be the parent of a high school athlete.
“Missing games or hearing others speak ill of your athlete or other athletes are not fun times,” she stated. “Seeing them struggle on the mound or in the circle is tough, but in the end, only they can make it work. My husband likes to say, “the loneliest place on the field is in the circle’”.
Raising your kids in a small town is a good thing, according to Griffith. She says that is especially true in a tight-knit community.
“They are born and raised here, making them known by a ton of teachers and people in the community,” she said. “These people and teachers will turn up for games, cheer, and give them encouraging words when they see them in public; it’s just awesome. They will also let you know if they think something might be going on with your child; they treat them as though they are theirs. Living in a small town may drive a teen crazy, but for a momma, it’s the best.”
