Today I want to flip the mindset discussion to you, the parent, because you may not have considered how much your thoughts and beliefs impact on your child.
We all know that buying hockey gear isn’t cheap, right? It is a sport that requires specialized equipment and if your child plays in the goalie position, a lot lot more of it.
You may need a separate job to pay for all of that because it costs a packet.
Do you ever feel or ask yourself why you’re spending, or perhaps you might think ‘wasting’, all that money on them?
Serious question.
What Price Do You Put on Joy and Fun?
I currently work in the retail environment and I watch many parents come in and spend hundreds of dollars on things to make their children happy.
I also hear the parents and watch their reactions. Some of them aren’t happy about the price tags.
But what price do you put on fun and joy and overall happiness for someone?
If hockey is something that your child has chosen, not only as a sport, which is great for their well being overall, but also as something they do for fun, isn’t that great?
What if you put a $100 price tag on an hour of fun? How many fun dollars has your child earned over the time they’ve been playing hockey?
I’m guessing it is way more than the actual amount you’ve spent on the gear they’ve needed over that time.
What’s Your Fun Quotient?
You want to give your child everything you can to make them happy. I know, I am a parent too. Therefore, spending the money on the gear isn’t really the issue.
The issue is do you get to have the same amount of fun that they do. Ponder that for a minute.
Don’t you wish sometimes you could get out there and do something for fun, like they are. Whether that’s being out there on the ice enjoying hockey or skating, or perhaps other things that you loved doing and have stopped since you had a family.
Whilst your child’s mental wellness is important, yours is too. It’s then essential that you find some time for you. Time to either chill out and totally relax without parental responsibilities, or time to do something that you love doing, just for you.
That might be reading, or running, or gaming, or playing hockey or some other sport.
Negotiate with your partner and family for you to have that time to do that, whether that’s once a week, once every two weeks, or one a month.
You will be surprised how making this a thing will take the focus off your child and the financial aspect of them playing hockey.
It will bring joy and happiness back into your life in a way that means you will enjoy the joy that your child has, playing the game they currently love and enjoy; hockey!
Karen Cherrett is a Sports Mindset Coach who specializes in coaching hockey players. Karen coaches players to be more focused and play with ease, not stress. And their parents to support their child in the best possible way. Life playing hockey should be fun. Mindset matters. Mental health matters. Hockey should be fun, not emotionally overloading.