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Wow...yesterday was an incredibly tense day for parents of Olympians.  Clearly visible on TV, the emotions on Debbie Phelps' face were almost palpable: exultation, followed by confusion and then acceptance as she watched her son Michael narrowly miss the gold in the 200 butterfly.  But, then, her look of sheer joy when he went on to set records and win his 19th medal in the 4X200 freestyle relay put it all in perspective.

Amazing.  The incredible athletes and their parents are products of determination, passion and pride.

How do you raise an Olympian?  Take a look at this video from Yahoo Shine, featuring Gabby Douglas and her mom, and you will see that it has a lot to do with sacrifice, dedication and faith.  When this piece was made, Olympic victory was just a dream...but now it is a reality, after the U.S. Gymnastics team won the gold medal last night.  What an incredible result from years of hard work.

Also, take a look at this piece from the New York Times Parenting blog, Motherlode, called:  Olympic Parents: Who Sacrifices (or Is Sacrificed) for Gold?

Are you using the Olympics as a way to teach your kids about the virtues of hard work and believing in themselves?