What you should and should not do as a parent
What not to do
As a parent, you need to always be supportive of your child. This does not mean baby them because that can also have negative affects. A lot of parents tend to nag their child after a loss or poor performance instead of telling them it is ok. It is ok to give constructive criticism, but you have to know when and how to give it. Parents will also force their kids to work on their skill or to go and work out. Sometimes athletes just need a break from everything, a chance to relax and rejuvenate. You do not need to be going 100% all the time.
How to help maintain good mental health
There are plenty of good ways to help maintain positive mental health. One way to do this is by creating a positive social environment. Make sure that your kid has good friends and that you as parents, make sure your kids are comfortable with talking to you. If you have a negative social environment, it can really affect a kid’s mental health. Every once in a while, just check in and make sure they are doing ok. Sometimes all it takes is showing that you care and are there for your children to lift their spirits.
Proper reactions
A lot of parents first reaction to their kid’s poor performance is to criticize and nag at them. This happens more than you think and if you have a child athlete, odds are you have probably done it whether you meant to or not. When someone has a poor performance the last thing they want to hear is criticism coming from the people they love and trust directly after an event. Instead, try to be encouraging and give them space. Try and talk about something else. Usually the last thing the athlete is going to want to talk about is the game. Eventually you can criticize and critique, but you have to know when. If you immediately do it, you could worsen their mental health. Everyone is a little bit different with how they respond and get over poor performances, but if you pay attention it is not difficult to figure it out.