I absolutely love it when I am present for when my kids start learning something. It's delightful to watch them learn and figure things out and take their first steps. Sometimes whatever they are learning is something they enjoy, and sometimes it's not. For my son the first time he realized he was consistently hitting the ball in baseball was great. For my daughter it was getting control of the ball in soccer. The novelty is delightful.

One thing I learned over time though, is that when I am present is that my presence is a distraction. It wasn't something I figured out - my son straight up told me. When I am there at a practice, he is constantly checking if I am watching, because he wants to make sure he is doing well (not because I am a crazy perfectionist parent - I hope... ) because he wants to show off. By not being fully engaged and present I give him the freedom to practice and make the mistakes that are necessary for bridging a basic skill to mastery.

I enjoy watching them learn, but not at the cost of my children being distracted from the task at hand. I will be present for every performance, and every game, but if I am going to a practice, I will generally drop the kids off and take a walk to give them space to mess up without being concerned what I am going to think or how I might respond.