I have heard this phrase over and over as I am sure you have.  We have also come back with the natural comeback, “Life’s not fair.” But is it really that simple? I want my girls to know that if they don’t like something, that there are things that can be changed. Obviously, that can’t always be the case but that’s the problem. How do you teach them how to tell the difference?

Today I had this argument going on in my head. This is how it all went down: We were hanging out at Ashley’s softball game and enjoying ourselves. I love watching her play and have fun doing it. But lately she has been having issues with it. The reason is that they seem to keep changing the rules on the girls every game! Just 2 examples:

No running into pitcher when running home and you have to slide into home. Half the time the kids get out and half the time they don’t. So it makes it confusing for the girls. You have to be consistent. The girls see this inconsistency and the changes as unfair. My opinion is that they are right.

Because I believe they are right and I have seen the unfairness, I feel even worse. Before the game even ended, Ashley was in tears. I could see not only the frustration but the anger. On the way home, I tried to talk to her. I told her that she needed to let the coaches worry about that stuff and to enjoy the game. But then I began to wonder if we told all our kids this, who is going to learn to step up and change the world. I want her to know that in a situation like this, she has the right to take action. Afterall, someone has to!

Now my question for you. How do you teach your kids that they need to focus on the things they can control without holding them back?