I embarrassed my youngest son recently by being “that mom.”
Let me set the stage:
My son’s coaches called a parent meeting to introduce themselves, talk about their coaching style, and the tournament season ahead. While they were talking, all the athletes were on the field. One of the more senior athletes, leading stretching, kept calling the middle school boys “ladies.”
– “Come on, ladies/”
– “Hurry up, ladies.”
– “Hey there, ladies – look alive.”
After the third time, a chuckle rolled through the parent audience, about 30 adults. I couldn’t help but think: “How is this funny?” I also knew I couldn’t be the only parent who was bothered by this. After I realized that no one else was going to do something about this, I determined it’d have to be me.
I broke from the crowd, pulled a coach aside, and shared my thoughts on the situation. He said that though he didn’t hear the comments, he’d address it.
Later that night, when my son got in the car, he asked me if I confronted the situation. I confirmed I did. He was mortified for having “that mom” – the mom that complains to the coaches.
I shared with him my perspective:
– It’s never wrong to stand for your values, even if it’s uncomfortable.
– You’ve got a voice, and you’ve got a moral obligation to use it.
– An ounce of courage to right a wrong is worth the risk of embarrassment.
These life lessons might take a year or two (or 10!) to sink into his young mind. But I laid them down for him to pick up…eventually.
I’ve since shared this story on LinkedIn – it’s received more than 7,500 views. I’d like to ask you to help it get more visibility – we all need to have courage to right wrongs. Can you go to the post by clicking here and sharing it with the hashtag #useyourvoice to spread awareness?
No one is walking through this earth powerless. We all have power when we choose to callout situations we find unacceptable. I promise you: I’ve got your back. I won’t be embarrassed – I’ll be proud. I’ll rally around you, too, so you won’t feel like you’re standing alone.
Until next time,
