The good ones will love me.

Last night at soccer practice I overheard some language that isn’t appropriate for our 10 and 11 year old boys.

It came from one of the boys. Just right there in the parents face on the sideline. This boy just decided that the audience didn’t matter.

I quickly let the young man know that I heard him and that I didn’t like it AND that we DO NOT talk like the on our field.

He was shocked at first but went back to his business on the filed.

Talking to the parents that also heard him, I explained my need for a village. They laughed and we all agreed that next time that young man decided to cuss, it would probably be in Spanish and when I am not around.

When I got home later and got the kids to bed, I talked to Lee about it. I wondered if I overstepped my boundaries.

We agreed that I did not. That the biggest issue this world has is that others are not willing to correct bad behavior.

Over the summer we played with some new kids and we learned real quickly that not all parents are tuned into what’s going on around them.

I truly believe that children are not out to be bad, they are simply trying to fill a need and they will fill that need anyway they can.

Most kids learn that pleasing behavior gets them attention.

Other kids learn that displeasing behavior gets them attention.

Attention is attention, bad or good. If your kid has to upset you to get you to look away from your phone, well that is a lesson that will stick into their brain and their behavior will snowball into disaster just to get you to see them.

I am not an expert, I am only a women that has watched with open eyes and a big heart that feels the pain for YEARS.

Before Lee and I went to sleep we laughed at my ability to get into sticky situations and be the “value police”.

We decided that the good ones will LOVE me and the bad ones will crave my attention.

I can’t wait for the next practice. I will be right there to offer praise and encouragement.

I will also be the mom that holds the line, tight, making sure all the kids know I care and I am listening.

Until then, I will hold that line tight for my boys.

PS- Our team and our club are full of amazing parents and children. I am so thankful we found them and I look forward to years of sharing time on the field with my village.