Why my kids will watch the Olympics (even though they don’t understand them)
12:00:00 PM
There is a lot of controversy every time over the Olympics. Did one country lie about eligibilty? Are judges truly impartial? Did a referee make a mistake? Are the right athletes there? The questions go on and on.This year is no different. I am not even in the loop on most events, and I have heard the rumblings. Is it safe in Russia? Should we allow our young people—our best—to risk their lives to compete? Should loved ones go?My girls are too young to understand the controversies about the Olympics. They are 6, 2, and 2. Really, they are too young to understand the sports themselves…remember, my girls rarely see snow, and even sports they are exposed to on a regular basis get confused (like American football and soccer). But I am still going to expose them to the Olympics. The reasons are so many.
- We get to expose them to other cultures and countries. We’ll be using our world map a lot. Controversy aside, I look forward to discussing Russian culture but also other cultures. We’ll talk about where different athletes come from and why they are different from us….and how they are the same.
- I want to talk to them now about living their dreams, and how most of the time, those dreams require hard work to achieve.
- I want them to be exposed to sports that they don’t ordinarily see.
- I want them to enjoy the artistry that many sports celebrate. I won’t lie, I like figure skating and freestyle ski jumping. I want to share that with them.
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