I was a parent who expected too much from my child
Back then, I
was always thinking.
"My child should be able to do more than this."
They were putting in the effort.
They had the talent, too.
That is exactly why I had such high expectations.
But I didn't realize
that those expectations
had become a burden.
Every time there was a match,
I would keep score in my heart.
Pass or fail.
Success or failure.
That was the way
I was looking at my own child.
If they made a mistake, I would sigh.
If they succeeded, I took it for granted.
That wasn't
"believing in them,"
it was "constraining them."
One day, my son said to me,
"Dad, I'm scared of failing."
Those words
made my heart ache.
I finally understood.
Expectations
had become "control"
rather than "trust."
From then on, I changed.
I stopped chasing results.
I stopped comparing.
I stopped trying to stay one step ahead.
Instead,
I focused only on the process.
Then, strangely enough,
my son began to flourish.
He started thinking for himself
and taking on challenges.
I can say it now.
Letting go of expectations
is not the same as giving up.
It was about "changing how I believe in them."
If you, too, are
・tired from expecting too much
・getting angry
・feeling regret
if you are in that state,
it is okay.
I was the same way.
I have compiled my record of failures and recovery
into one book.
📘
“That one word that day changed my son
— A fresh start manual for sports parents —”