One of our countless responsibilities as parents is to teach our children history and love of country. The Olympics is an amazing vessel to use for these teachable moments, while getting to enjoy some fantastic sporting events.
To watch the Weasels cheer on Team USA, fills my heart with joy. I take this time to teach them about the rules of hockey the sports that we are watching and throw in a history lesson in the form of explaining why it's always fun to watch the Russians get beat and how it's a shame that we won't be meeting up with them on the ice about the Cold War and how the only good thing that came out of it was some really exciting sporting rivalry and the fall of the Iron Curtain.
I continue the history lesson by showing them video clips of Team USA taking home the Gold in 1980 and how amazing it was to watch and tell them how we are going to repeat that performance this time around.
This is a great opportunity to teach them how to trash talk properly and that screaming instructions at the TV screen really is productive even though Eldest Weasel keeps reminding me that the players can't hear me and that screaming out loud with pure joy and excitement with every goal Team USA scores is the equivalent of saying the Pledge of Allegiance.
They get to see my eyes fill with pride and emotion every time Old Glory is raised and The Star Spangled Banner is played.
I am using the opportunity to brush up on their math skills n the form of explaining odds and wagering on the events.
All in all, the Olympics is a great learning experience. Covering history, patriotism, math, and sports in one, two week learning experience.
To entertain yourself further *click here* to see with your own eyes what my Canadian used to be friend, Big Bad Daddy has done with Flat WeaselMomma after reading about the wager that friend and fellow blogger, Huckdoll have riding on the Men's Hockey Gold Medal. Also, don't forget to head on over to check out Dad-Blogs FatherHood Friday.
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