My Sister Is Completely Delusional About Her Son’s Sports “Talents”

Care and Feeding is Slate’s parenting advice column. Mark always says that he didn’t turn professional at 22—he did that at age 9, when he basically gave up his childhood to spend every weekend playing this sport, started practicing on different teams before and after school, and stopped doing any “normal” childhood things because there was no time for them. So when we watch Rudy’s games—or even when we’re just visiting Jane and her family—and they ask Mark what he thinks, Mark always says, “Just make sure he’s having fun.” I think he needs to be more honest. —In the Bleachers Dear Bleachers, There’s a middle ground here, I think, when it comes to staying out of it versus being “honest”. In other words, he can inject a dose of reality, but stay short of saying, “Kid’s got no talent and is a coach potato.” If they demand to know what Mark thinks of Rudy right now as a player of this sport, I think Mark can tell the truth, but should do so in the kindest, gentlest way possible.