It starts during infancy.  We have goals, dreams and expectations for our children in their long journey to adulthood. We acknowledge their achievements, celebrate their successes and cheer them on. We are surprised and disappointed when they fall short of our expectations.  We root them on when they meet or exceed them. We are even sometimes competitive with other parents in comparing and heralding our children’s accomplishments and amazing feats. Some of us even chide and yell at coaches and umpires when we feel they have mistreated or misjudged our young one. Done in moderation, our approval, encouragement and pride motivate, inspire and take our children to new and exciting levels.  Done in extreme, these things create stress, anxiety, and angst. In informally polling my own students I have found the following things to be … Read entire article »