To think Emma Raducanu puts the puts MNetters to shame

[SaturdaySpread]

MN has often made me feel inadequate as a parent, what with all the sporting, musical and academic achievements and perfectly behaved children, while my DC are nice enough but decidedly average

But come on, you're going to have to up your game. A* (Maths!) and A at Alevel and a Grand Slam in the space of 3 months. And seemingly lovely manners too.

Obviously I'm only playing, but just how?!

@CheddarandChutney

[[https://twitter.com/SnotSurgeon/status/1436442158408605703?s=20]] This made me laugh

Ah, that's made me belly laugh 😂😂😂

@TheWoleb

I felt a little bit sad for her. She said she had spoken to her dad and his response was, "better than I thought". She also said he is very hard to please but she thinks she did it today.

Why were they not there watching her?

Emma was born in Toronto, Canada, on 3 November 2000. Her father Ian is Romanian and her mother Renee is Chinese. They are both financial executives. She moved to London at the age of two, and started playing tennis at the Bromley Tennis academy when she was just five. The tennis sensation was a jack-of-all-trades as a child, dabbling in tennis, ballet, swimming, horse riding, golf, skiing, and even motocross.

Clever and rich parents who had the desire, resources and knowledge to push her hard to achieve from a young age. Of course, she also had the right physical and mental attributes to become an outstanding tennis player.

Probably not allowed into the US.

@lockdownmadnessdotcom

Probably not allowed into the US.

(in answer to RubySlippers)

Love this thread

My youngest is 14, has zero interest in school and caught the ball at his footy match today. I compare that to EmmaR’s academic and sporting achievements and feel slightly let down.

@RubySlippers123 Covid restrictions meant they couldn’t be there. Can’t imagine missing that moment as a parent. Must have been so stressful.

Why were they not there watching her?

Something about visas and permits to travel because no one expected her to be there. She'd booked return flights ages ago and we're in the middle of a Pandemic where short notice travel is generally not possible.

Really sad actually, if they would otherwise have been there.

@CheddarandChutney The snot Surgeon is so funny (and a lovely person).

@RubySlippers123
Tight Covid travel restrictions. Re. her dad’s comments, may well have been dry humour/tongue firmly in cheek - probably best not to judge I’d think.

@Cam77

Emma was born in Toronto, Canada, on 3 November 2000. Her father Ian is Romanian and her mother Renee is Chinese. They are both financial executives. She moved to London at the age of two, and started playing tennis at the Bromley Tennis academy when she was just five. The tennis sensation was a jack-of-all-trades as a child, dabbling in tennis, ballet, swimming, horse riding, golf, skiing, and even motocross.

Clever and rich parents who had the desire, resources and knowledge to push her hard to achieve from a young age. Of course, she also had the right physical and mental attributes to become an outstanding tennis player.

She went to a state school though, albeit a grammar

[quote GrealishHairband]@RubySlippers123 Covid restrictions meant they couldn’t be there. Can’t imagine missing that moment as a parent. Must have been so stressful.[/quote]
Ah I see.
I would be BESIDE myself as her parent. Can you even imagine?! 🥲

[quote Cam77]@RubySlippers123
Tight Covid travel restrictions. Re. her dad’s comments, may well have been dry humour/tongue firmly in cheek - probably best not to judge I’d think.[/quote]
I wasn't.

My 18 year old dc has done a 3 hour shift at their supermarket job this morning and is now sprawled out on the sofa ‘shattered’. I think I might have read a different parenting manual to Emma’s parents 😬!

Amazing achievement for the young lady, her parents must be ecstatic.

@SaturdaySpread
She went to a state school though, albeit a grammar
Yes, she did. But she also had (I’ll repeat here) ...clever and rich parents who had the desire, resources and knowledge to push her hard to achieve from a young age. 😀 Plenty of wealthy and ambitious/driven parents send their kids to state school.

@SaturdaySpread

MN has often made me feel inadequate as a parent, what with all the sporting, musical and academic achievements and perfectly behaved children, while my DC are nice enough but decidedly average

But come on, you're going to have to up your game. A* (Maths!) and A at Alevel and a Grand Slam in the space of 3 months. And seemingly lovely manners too.

Obviously I'm only playing, but just how?!

I'm a sports coach and I think she is amazing but I'd think all your kids are amazing, too A good heart, trying your best & being happy are for me the ultimate success story.

Some people just find it easier than others, hard work and self belief pays off.
To many teens out there prefer makeup, fashion and boys/girls than they do for important things but thats fine! Just like its fine that some prefer to throw into books and sports. If every one of those kids did the same things theyd be clones. We love them regardless of how they turn out

My three yo kicked a tennis ball today. Does that count for anything?

@EmbarrassingMama

My three yo kicked a tennis ball today. Does that count for anything?

They've got to start somewhere

@Itsmeagainandagain
A huge part of it is down to the parents though. Of course the amazing extent of her achievement is her own - but if she was born to less able and ambitious parents she’d never have been on that path in the first place. Most successful people in individual sports - tennis, golf, gymnastics - tend to have extremely driven parents, a fact Raducanu seems to recognize and is grateful for.

"MN has often made me feel inadequate as a parent, what with all the sporting, musical and academic achievements and perfectly behaved children, while my DC are nice enough but decidedly average grin"

MN has never made me feel inadequate as a parent. My chief goals for my dc are that they are happy, well adjusted and kind (that's still work in progress) not that they are 'mega achievers'

That said a huge well done to Emma Raducanu for a very impressive win.

"Most successful people in individual sports - tennis, golf, gymnastics - tend to have extremely driven parents"

Indeed and sometimes that works out great and other times it is unacceptable and harmful adelphipsych.sg/pushy-parenting-and-its-profoundly-negative-psychological-effects/

Nice one, @Cam77 . I knew someone would be mealy-mouthed about her success. Not pleasant.

She’s the flip side of the coin to the heroin addict parents who’s poor neglected childhood means they grow up to be thoroughly unpleasant.
They are a product of a very specific upbringing.

It’s an incredible achievement regardless though.
She’ll have peaked by 30. Be interesting to see what she does when it’s over given she’s pretty bright too.