Are You A Good Mentor?

“Here’s your water bottle, James!”

The eight-year-old snatched the bottle hard out of his mother’s hand and said, “give me that!” A chorus of nervous laughter followed from the parents nearby, including the boy’s mother. James sauntered off, without acknowledging his mother’s offering, or the presence of the other parents in the group.

We were attending a youth basketball game, and the hallway outside the gym was filled with parents and revved up kids. This kind of interaction between children and their parents is not unusual today. We all see examples of kids acting more aggressively around their parents. And unfortunately, we all see examples of their parents doing little to change it.