Olympic gold medal swimmer Michael Phelps was recently photographed smoking marijuana. Do you have any advice on talking to kids about role models who behave badly?
Remind your kids that everybody makes mistakes. Phelps himself said, “I . . . demonstrated bad judgment. Despite the successes I've had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way. For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again."
He is a phenomenal athlete with strong family values. He worked hard work, set goals and made extreme sacrifices to achieve his success. These are traits that you should talk about with your children.
Also remind them that marijuana is illegal. If Phelps is prosecuted, the offense is punishable by up to 30 days in jail or a $750 fine, plus court costs. Phelps will likely pay dearly for this offense, likely losing endorsements and maybe even his hard-earned gold medals. While your children may not lose Olympic medals for similar behavior, they should know that they might be expelled from school if a friend’s cell phone camera catches them engaging in illegal behavior. When you behave badly, you pay a price.
The bottom line: just because a role model behaves badly doesn’t make the behavior justifiable or worthy of emulation. The real judge of a person’s character is how s/he behaves when s/he thinks no one is looking. That applies to famous athletes and your kids.
