How to Help Raise Internally Motivated Kids with Passion
The fallacy of sticking with it.
My husband stood on the sidelines of the soccer field during our daughter’s first soccer game, about age 4, watching her stand in the middle of the field with other children rushing by, singing, “I’m a little teapot” at the top of her lungs, hands on her hips.
“Sing with me, Daddy!” she shouted between verses.
She’d eagerly jumped in the car and joined her teammates on the field and participated in every drill during practices, even after that first game. But on the next game day, she sat in her bedroom painting. “I don’t want to go.”
“But I thought you liked soccer,” I urged.
“I like practice.” She didn’t look up from her picture. “I don’t like games.”
“What’s the difference?”
“In practice everyone gets a ball. No one chases you to take it.”
I couldn’t fault her impeccable logic. She enjoyed the running, kicking, and probably snack time — but had no appetite for the competitiveness of the game.
From then on, we allowed her to attend practices only and informed her coach she wouldn’t be at any games.
