To win at the dog track, a greyhound handicapper has to keep his wits about him. You have to focus on the program, then the race, then taking notes after the race before you cash your ticket or go over why you lost your ticket.
It’s hard to do this on a noisy track where hundreds of people are talking, yelling, arguing and cheering on their dogs. It’s even more difficult to do this if you bring your children with you, but many people do just that. I am a father and have taken my children to the track more than once, but never when I was severely disabled. This is why.
If you’re a decent parent, when your kids are with you, a big part of you is focused on them. It’s natural and it’s a good thing. Children need a lot of attention and their safety and well-being should be our primary concern at all times.
However, this just doesn’t work when you’re trying to hurt a race. I have seen fathers, and mothers too, so deeply involved in their programs that they didn’t realize their young son was drifting away. Dog tracks are pretty safe places, but I wouldn’t let my young kids wander down one alone. It is common sense to make sure your children are by your side and under your control when you are in a crowd.
I think some parents take their kids to the dog track because they feel guilty about going so often and leaving the kids behind. If that’s the case, maybe they should reconsider if the dog track has taken too much of their lives.
You can’t raise a family if you’re never there. Maybe it’s time to take a day off the track and spend it with your family. Perhaps, better yet, you should designate a weekend day for family outings or just spending time together. And it’s only fair that her spouse gets some time off from the responsibility of the kids, too, so don’t forget to make time for him or her, too.
If you want to take your kids to the track, go as a family and focus on the kids. Don’t get too weak while you’re there. Get the show early and place your bets right when you get there, or just bet for fun. Let your children choose numbers, colors or names.
Don’t bet too much. Just have fun with your children and save the difficulties for when you go alone. Balancing the handicap of the family and the greyhound is not easy, but it can be done. If you do it right, you can be a winner on the track and at home.
