Kelly
As I sat and watched the first week of the The Gleaner's Spelling Bee unfold last week, I saw a group of children exuding more nervous energy than a man on his execution day. I feel like I'm one of the luckiest guys in the room because I have no children participating, I'm not a coach, so I have no students out there, and overall, I shouldn't be rooting for anybody anyway.
In contrast, the parents and other relatives of these students, plus the teachers and the friends and schoolmates, are going bonkers in the audience. That's no fun.
The amazing thing is that sometimes, the spellers are more composed than their parents. More than a few times I've seen an understandably jubilant parent race from the back of the room, where they were biting their fingers to the bone, up to the lectern to grab the partially startled child. Makes for a great photo.
The nucleus of my diatribe this week though is that if I should ever become a father, the decision to enter the Spelling Bee, or any competition of that kind, would be totally up to the child. I don't know of any parents who force their children to compete and I know I wouldn't force mine into anything that can be that stressful.
Benefits
I've been around children long enough to know the benefits it can have on them. If you know how to spell words, you'll know how to read, comprehend and hopefully reason. The same diligence with which you have to study for the 'bee' or other such contests can be translated to their overall school work, and it gives shy children an avenue to really show the world who they are.
But it's the child, not the parent, who will be standing in front of the cameras knowing that thousands will be watching, plus the ones in the auditorium. Again, that's no fun! That's why if your little boy or girl wants to participate, they should be mentally prepared; at least partially, with your help. Every child has the ability to do something but that doesn't mean they want to.
The problem is that there are some parents who never got the chance to compete themselves (or weren't very good at it) and want to live the dream through the child. Parenting is a delicate art. A child not wanting to do his/her homework is a different issue. By all means, ensure they get that done. Laziness, in general, can't be tolerated. But competitions like this are things that both parents and children must agree on. If the child is up for it, let them. If they're not, leave them be. Either way, they will love you for the decision.
compete with me at daviot. kelly@gleanerjm.com.
Some of the participants in the St. Catherine Spelling Bee Spelldown, in Spanish Town, last week, do a quick revision before facing the spell master. -
Ian Allen/Staff Photographer