ALEX Toys Official Blog

Ask Nurit: Reaching Olympic Gold

Dear Nurit,

My family and I have been watching the Winter Olympics with our two children and have been really enjoying seeing peak athletes enjoy the fruit of their labor. It’s very tempting to look at my own kids who are involved in sports and wonder if they’ll ever experience an Olympic gold moment! I read last week’s Ask Nurit about keeping reading fun rather than pushing young children before they’re ready, does this apply to creating athletic champions? How do I balance wanting my pre-teens to reach their full potential and allowing kids to be kids?

This is a great question. It is inspiring to watch speed skaters whiz past the cameras and skiers fly through the air with their parents (and entire country) cheering from the sidelines. Make sure it inspires you to help your children reach their dreams, not yours. If your kids have a passion for a sport or art, encourage them and let them take it as far as they want to, within reason of course. Know your child well enough so that you can help them push past obstacles and keep their commitments. Reaching for the gold isn’t only about earning medals, it’s about being the best version of yourself. Let’s be sure to pass that on to the generations to come.

photo from MSNBC.com