Dumb Parents

Yesterday I had an epiphany of sorts.

My whole life I have been surrounded by dumb parents. 

Not my parents of course. As much as I thought they were dumb when I was a kid, I'm not talking about them.

I'm talking about parents who keep doing stupid parent things when it comes to their kids.

I grew up the daughter of an athletic director/teacher/coach. My mother drove a school bus. My memories of parents causing problems for my parents goes back to some of my earliest memories.

I remember my mother being verbally berated by a parent after confusion regarding a bus stop pick-up. My dad's encounters were much worse. Parents actually pulling children out of school because of his decisions regarding the sport they were playing for him. Phone calls. Letters. Embarrassing encounters.

And this was before social media and email. I can't imagine how much worse it would be for those in positions of education today.

After I left home, I made the decision to become a teacher and coach myself. I worked with some wonderful parents. But I also encountered some dumb parents. Or not-dumb parents who just made dumb decisions in the moment.

My brother is now an athletic director at large Christian school in South Florida. My sister-in-law, Danielle, has occupied the same position at a smaller school. Many of my friends are teachers or coaches.

I could give example after example from them and from me, but I'll refrain. The specific stories aren't as important as the general theme of what I am writing.

Why, in heaven's name do parents lose all sense of reasonableness when it comes to their children?!

I love my kids. I would die for my kids. But when, oh when, will parents stop losing sight of the big picture?

I wrote about this previously on my blog. Instead of rewriting all the stuff I wrote before you can read about it here: 

The Big Picture

Last night I had a new encounter. This was my first encounter as a parent faced with another parent who was being dumb.

Last night I met a a dumb parent not as the daughter of the coach. Not as a daughter or sister of the teacher/coach/athletic director/bus driver. But as the parent of a child being affected by aforementioned dumb parent.

I won't get into the details of the story. It's too fresh, and I don't want to cause any additional grief. But I witnessed a parent stepping into a situation and directing their desire for their child's success at my own child. Instead of trusting the coach or going through the right channels, they decided to berate my child.

And still, despite the fact that this was occurring, I did what I always say. I sat back. I waited. I let the coach step in. I did not get involved and will not get involved. I am letting those in charge work it out.

But parents, why are you so dumb!?

Why do you feel the need to step in, over step, micro-manage, and lose sight of the big picture?

It isn't about the activity itself.

It's about teaching your child about life.

On the way home from said encounter, I had the chance to talk to my kiddos about what happens when adults make bad decisions. How often times it isn't the kid. It's the parent. The parent being STUPID.

Stop it.

Stop it parents.

Let's all work together to keep the big picture in mind and get focused on the things that really matter.

I write this post to remind you to see the big picture. Remember why you are having your kids participate in this activity. They are getting exercise. They are a part of a team. They are working toward a goal. They are listening to someone and following directions. They are facing frustration, disappointment, and lack of fairness. And they area also getting to see accomplishments, excitement, and reaching goals.