The 2016 Summer Olympics begin in Rio this August. That means soon you can be homeschooling with the Olympics! The most valuable prerequisite for all of the Olympians is their unwavering dedication. Each competitor spends hours every single day dedicating time and effort to their skill to get them into the Olympics, and eventually into a win. This concept of determination is easily lost among our day-to-day tasks. Dedication is not a skill easily learned or easily implemented but it is certainly worthwhile. While homeschooling your children you can use the Olympic event to discuss and teach the value of determination with these 4 resolutions:
Determination has to be learned
Determination is not a natural ability. Many times passion fuels the ability to learn determination to increase skill or achieve a specific level of success. If passion is necessary to learn persistence then your little ones need to discover their passions. Watching the Olympics is a great start to exposing your kids to what this level of drive looks like and where it can take them.
Anything is Possible
Many young ones learn early on that “anything is possible” but there are so few real-life examples of this phrase. Going beyond storybook tales and movies, how do you share that anything truly is possible? Many of the Olympic competitors have amazing back-stories of how they came from “nothing” and worked hard every single day to get where they are. Many of these real-life stories hold valuable lessons, not just for kids, but for all of us.
Failure is Okay, Giving up is NOT
Failure is one of the most consistent experiences in life. Not just failure, but disappointment, sadness, etc. Whether personal or external, failure will happen, and we need to teach our children that failing is okay – it’s the giving up part that’s not. Many of the Olympic competitors failed before reaching the Olympic event. Almost all of the competitors will fail at the Olympic event..except one.. the winner. Watching how the competitors handle themselves and their failures are great examples of what failing but not giving up can look like.
Training is not easy, but necessary
The competing Olympians didn’t just train – they trained hard. They trained their body, their mind, and their spirit. Each Olympian had to overcome their own personal obstacles which could have included personal confidence, fears of public speaking, fear of failure, dieting, and much more.