Using Tiger Woods Apology as a Teaching Moment for your Chiild

DocACorn — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:56:07 +0000

Chances are, your son or daughter has already heard Tiger’s remarks, or heard their parent or another person (spouse, significant other, teacher, friend, neighbor, etc.,) discuss his Friday TV and radio interview. After making his 13 1/2 minute apology, have you taken time to use this as a teaching opportunity?
By that, I mean, have you asked your son or daughter his or her thoughts about a famous athlete apologizing to the public for bending the rules, thinking they did not apply to him in his marital life.
Before you even comment on the factual information contained in your child’s remark, try to focus first on his or her emotional reaction. This would be most important especially if you find yourself reacting in a manner than causes you to feel upset, confused, or disappointed. What will be necessary then is to discern what your child is primarily responding to? Is it that he or she thinks the apology erases the inappropriate behavior? It’s over and no big deal. Or, is your child’s response based on what he or she has heard peers say at school; thus affecting or negating his or her own viewpoint? What if your child is identifying in some way with Tiger, hoping that a public confession will exonerate him if caught for wrongdoing. In other words, if your child misbehaves (not in the same way as Tiger, of course!), but will his or her confession enable your child to escape any further humiliation or punishment? Will be there be genuine remorse? What consequences remain in place? What has your child ultimately learned?
What I am trying to propose to parents, is not to focus exclusively on what Tiger did or how he came across during his confessional speech, but have you been able to use this moment as a positive learning experience so your child is given the opportunity to express his or her views, to possibly explore the differences between the spoken words, past deeds, and future behavior.
Having these kinds of open communications will go much further in strengthening the bonds between each of you. After all, it is unlikely that Tiger’s behavior is going to impact your life. But, we do live in a society where hear and see mixed messages.
In the end, your son and daughter may be more positively impacted by your willingness to talk about a difficult topic without dismissing, ignoring, or avoiding this current hot topic.

s that we live in a society where there are mixed messages. Tiger has already disgraced himself by his own arrogance and believing social and marital rules did not apply to him. Despite his phenomenal prowess and success as being known as the world’s best golfer, how he has conducted himself up until now has both on and off the links has shown us another side to his character, and hopefully one you’d rather not see your children emulate.

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Using Tiger Woods Apology as a Teaching Moment for your Chiild