After reviewing our conversations, six parenting strategies emerged. Come to my game. That lets a child know he or she is needed. I once overheard my uncle say that my dad missed two big meetings to drive to another town to watch me in a game that I didn't even play half of. It instantly tells your child that he or she is more important than your job.
Some parents attend games, only to sift through office mail or talk on a cell phone.
Anna, a senior from Kansas City, says her dad may have come to all her soccer games, but never saw one.