Children have always relied on their parents for guidance and support, expecting their parents to do what is best for the kids. The HBO special documentary “Trophy Kids” follows five children that are training in a sport forced on them by their parents, focusing on how the guidance and discipline from their parents impacts the children physically and psychologically. Many of the children in this movie were forced to play their chosen sport because of the parent’s massive financial, emotional, and time commitment. The parents are often furious when the child does not play to their expectations, they take it personally when the child shows emotion or does not preform at an elite level. This movie displays many social and ethical …show more content…
Initially, should not force their children to play a sport if they do not want to, it will save us so much frustration, time, and money. A child who is put in a sport against their will, will not try their hardest just to like Justus did in football. It will also cause a parent to be frustrated and they will spend a lot of time training and helping their child get better at the sport, along with spending a lot of money for trainers and supplements, which is unnecessary if the child truly does not enjoy the sport. If a kid who lacks passion they will not succeed because they do not want to, which is why a parent should not force their child to do a sport, but rather give them the option to play the sport. Secondly, I feel that parents should not put so much pressure on their kids because they are still growing and developing, excessive yelling and pressure will affect them psychologically, and perhaps have consequences when the child is grown. Excessive pressure can lead to burnout, high stress levels, and the child distancing themselves from the parent. Excessive stress will act as distress to the child, inhibiting them from performing well, unlike eustress which will cause them to work harder or more diligently. This is best shown by Amari, her father tells her that paying for lessons is a waste of money if she can not perform well, noticeably viewers can see her face as sadness overwhelms it. No amount of money is more important than a child’s mental health, which is why I believe that parents should not pressure their children to be great, but they should guide and support their children and what they want to do. Finally, parent should respect their children in every aspect. Throughout the movie, parents would constantly disrespect their children, by lashing out in anger when the training does not pay off, which I think leads to a distant relationship.