Parenting poses its challenges throughout the various life stages. One minute, you’re dealing with your son’s terrible twos temper tantrums, and then you blink and find yourself in their rebellious teens.
Very little about parenting comes easily, so if you’re like us, you’re always looking for inspiration. Since golf is a passion for so many people, we thought it’d be helpful to share some simple golfing rules that could help us improve at home.
Rule #1: Play the Ball Wherever It Lies
You will experience moments outside your control in golf and parenting. Sometimes a bad break comes from what should’ve been a great shot, and you have moments where a good shot comes from being stuck in the sand trap.
No matter where we find ourselves, we have to play the ball. In the same way, in parenting, you did your best but found yourself dealing with obstacles outside your control. When you can’t remove the obstacles, play the ball the best you can.
Bad things happen when parenting, but like in golf, we must keep going. You can’t quit just because the ball falls into a bunker—you may want to, but your golf buddies might never let you live it down.
You must learn how to deal with unpredictable moments and teach your child how to get out of the bunker. As long as you keep going, you will eventually get back on course.
Rule #2: Don’t Take It Too Seriously
In parenting, we must take some things seriously, or bad things can happen. But you shouldn’t lose your joy in life.
We all have that one golf buddy who takes winning too seriously. And it can be tough to enjoy a day on the course with someone like that.
Nobody wants to play golf with a poor sport. Learning to enjoy the game even when things don’t go as planned will make you more resilient and a better golfer.
In parenting, unpredictable situations can arise that make us think on our toes. Learn how to take things with a sense of humor to enjoy parenting better.
Rule #3: Never Stop Growing
Like in parenting, golf always leaves room for improvement. You will never master it, but the drive to grow keeps you coming to the course. In every circumstance, you can make changes to improve your game, whether taking a better posture or improving your strike technique.
You will make mistakes as a parent. While you could beat yourself up for it, the best way is to make adjustments. Keep growing and keep learning. The longer you play golf, the better you get at it.
Don’t be afraid to pick up parenting books and learn from the mistakes of others. Or you can look for inspiration online and there are some great golfing sites out there.
Rule #4: Listen To Your Child’s Viewpoint
You might think of your child as the caddie in golf. You take the golf swing, but they provide you with insight.
Like caddies, kids deserve a voice, and if you listen to their point of view, it can help you reach the green faster. Caddies may be wrong sometimes, but you want your kid to learn how to think for themselves eventually.
Rule #5: Take the Course One Shot at a Time
Not only does this lead to more enjoyment of the game, but from the moment your child is born, you must take parenting in stages. You can’t worry too much about college when your kid is in diapers.
Make the decisions at each stage of your child’s development. Learning how to speak, having the first day at elementary school, going through puberty, going to high school, and taking off to college are all unique stages that require you to focus on each stage.
Rule #6: More Than One Way to Get to the Putting Green
Some players use all 14 clubs to reach the putting green; others might arrive there using nine or 10 clubs. Like in golf, there are many different styles of parenting, and you shouldn’t see one as worse than another.
There are always ways to improve even our own parenting style, and we should focus on that.
Final Thoughts
I would encourage you to look at your own golfing moments for what they can teach you about parenting. Look for lessons that you can use to make your parenting style better. Like in golf, there’s no such thing as the perfect parent, and you shouldn’t feel bad about that. You will have your proud moments as a parent, and you will make mistakes that you can learn and grow from.
