Tiger Woods shared a very close relationship with his father, Earl Woods. Earl severed as Tiger’s main motivation for golf, and supported him unconditionally and stood by him. That is exactly how the pro golfer aims to be with his son, Charlie Woods. He wants Charlie to feel supported and loved, but Woods also has a boundary where he draws a line. He firmly points out to Charlie, “Don’t ever call me your friend because I’m not.”
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On Bridgestone Golf’s ‘Another Golf Podcast,’ Woods recently opened up about their relationship. Tiger has an even stronger bond with Charlie than he did with his father. He spends time with him as often as possible and even serves as his caddy at the junior golf tournaments.
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On the podcast, he revealed one of the most important lessons he frequently repeats to Charlie. He said, “I told him this a long time ago, and I reiterate it with him every now and again. I said, ‘Son, you will never be my friend.'” The 15-time major championship winner explained himself by saying he would always be friendly with Charlie but could never be his friend.
He often says to Woods Jr., “Don’t ever call me your friend because I’m not. I’m your dad. Yeah, call me pops, call me your dad.” The golf legend wanted his son to understand where the line was between Tiger’s friendliness and his role as a parent.
What responsibilities does Tiger Woods have toward his son?
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The 82-time PGA Tour victor claimed that Earl had brought up Tiger in the same way. He said, “My dad was always friendly to me. But he was my dad first.” Woods believes that it is his job to prepare Charlie for the real world. He wants to always be there for his son and guide him toward a successful life.
Woods claims that, as a parent, he needs to nurture and advise Charlie. He also needs to prepare Charlie to “make the best decisions in life,” even without Tiger around. He had to ensure that little Woods was ready to face the world head-on and “grow and prosper.”
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Do you agree with the Woods parenting principles? Or do you think a parent should also be a friend? Let us know in the comments below.
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