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October 2007 Issue
Someone is watching
by Jennifer Shike
I learn a little bit more every day about what it means to be a parent.
Olivia, my 16-month-old, is starting to imitate what I say and what I do. I’m not sure whether to laugh or cry when she points her finger at me and says “no-no-no.” All of a sudden, I’ve realized that I have to be even more careful about how I approach each day. Because all too often, it’s the little things that I do or don’t do right that she quickly picks up on.
Parents have a lot of pressure to do the right thing and be the right example for their kids. When kids mess up, everyone looks at the parent. Whether this is unfair or not, it’s a reality. As a parent, somebody is watching you at all times – your child.
Recently, I read an article that confirms the importance of parents’ roles in their children’s lives. MTV and The Associated Press conducted an extensive survey with young people ages 13 to 24 about what makes them happy in life. An overwhelming 75 percent said their relationship with their parents is what makes them happy.
In a world where parents have to compete with so many distractions and worldly competitors, I found that to be a pretty amazing discovery.
Seventy-five percent of those surveyed chose their parents over friends, money, cars, sports and yes, even over showing pigs.
Nine times out of 10, when I ask National Junior Swine Association (NJSA) members who their hero is, they tell me it’s one or both of their parents.
Mistakenly, people often believe that youth today look up to movie stars, pop singers, famous athletes or political leaders. However, this same survey showed that most kids view their own family members as their heroes. Twenty-nine percent said their mothers were their heroes. Twenty-one percent named their fathers, and 16 percent picked their parents without specifying which one.
That’s more than half of the youth surveyed who mentioned a parent as their hero. Rounding out the list were friends, God, grandmothers, brothers and teachers.
When I look around at our shows, I can see why so many of our members cite their parents as their heroes. It takes a lot of time and money to get to the shows. Parents take time away from work, rearrange their schedules and more often than not, sacrifice sleep to get their kids to our events from coast to coast.
They are the motivators, the encouragers and most importantly, the ones to offer a reality check when needed.
This, combined with the costs of showing pigs, is evidence of how much parents truly invest when it comes to getting their kids to shows.
Looking back on my childhood, I can’t help but be amazed at how my parents found a way to get us to a show nearly every weekend. Not considering the costs and time involved, they also sacrificed doing things for themselves – like going out with their friends, taking up a sport, like golf, or going on trips with each other. Instead, they, like most “show parents,” chose to spend their time with us on the road going to another show because they believed this family activity would benefit us someday.
And, I can honestly say that showing has helped shape me into who I am today. The many lessons I learned from competition, along with the quality time that my family spent together at shows, has ignited a passion within me to pass this lifestyle on to my daughter.
NJSA members, if you haven’t thanked your parents for taking you to the shows this year, I encourage you to write them a note or sit down and tell them how much it means to you to show livestock and spend time with them at the shows. Sometimes a little thanks can make a huge difference.
You have a privilege before you that you can’t fully understand or appreciate until it’s over.
NJSA parents, thank you for your many sacrifices and passion for our industry. Without you, NJSA wouldn’t be the success it is today. You are responsible for molding your children into some of the brightest minds in our industry. Thank you for choosing NJSA as a way to help raise your children and ensure a promising future for the purebred swine industry.
Isn’t it great that they are watching?
