During the past twenty one years in private practice I have been fortunate to learn a great deal from the families I have worked with. As an avid beginner in golf I am often struck by the similarities between comments made by golf professionals - "keep it simple", "less is more", "stay in balance", and the comments I share with parents in the office. The goal in sharing the thoughts that follow is to help parents continue to raise happy and emotionally healthy children while at the same time reducing the vast amount of stress that often accompanies this important work.
Recently a local golf professional pointed out that his goal is not to help me learn to swing like him, but rather, to help me enjoy my own swing. He reminded me that I have all the tools; decent coordination, willingness to learn and good motivation. We all have the tools to be excellent parents and by focusing on a few important concepts our children derive great benefits.
The shelves in libraries and bookstores are filled with wonderful instructional books on parenting and golf. Over the years many parents have asked me to recommend specific books. My answer has always been to encourage parents to browse the shelves and to select the book that seems to be speaking directly to them. Personally I stay away from overly technical golf instructional books as I find them intimidating. I prefer books that offer practical concepts that I can picture myself doing.
I have learned the most important component in hitting a golf ball in the desired direction is self-confidence. The same is true for parenting. In the coming days I will share important issues and concepts that frequently come up in the office.
