Dad pulls 15-year-old daughter out of gymnastics against his wife's wishes in order to protect her when he discovers why she wants to leave the sport: 'She is a sophomore in High school and wants to stop competing'

Parenting is generally viewed as something that is a team effort, both parents presenting as a united front in order to be unified in communicating to the kids that the decision that has been made is the "right" one, even if it's for reasons they don't understand, presenting as calm and consistent to provide a sense of stability.

But let's be real here, it's just not possible for two people to agree on something all the time. Especially in any relationship that I've ever seen, where's the fun in being so agreeable?

And, to this point, most of us probably had that parent, whether it was mom or dad, who would present the united front in the moment but then be more real with us on the down low. And you can say what you want about that being toxic and undermining the other parent, but when you were a kid, especially a teenager, it just felt good to have someone who was willing to level with you and talk things through.

While this mother has a point, and the family has spent a significant amount towards the daughter's extracurricular activities, sometimes you need to be able to look past that sunk cost for your child's well-being. Speaking from experience here, you realize when you get older that there is a very real future cost to doing intense athletics at a high level, both in terms of time that could have been spent studying and physically. Pain is a teacher whose guidance you should always heed. Commitments are important, and learning to honor them is an important lesson in building character… but every rule needs its exceptions. Sometimes you need to part with things in order to make room for new opportunities.

Author image for Brad Dickson Brad Dickson
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