It’s hard to argue with a mother’s wisdom.

After Bogue Chitto football player Tucker Lambert was injured in a football game Sept. 4, his mother Clancey Laird Lambert committed herself to raising awareness about concussions.

His third concussion sent Tucker to University Medical Center in Jackson where doctors told him he couldn’t play football again. That’s a tough break for a talented kid, but it might just save his life or keep him from further injury.

“The issues that worry me the most include the effects most don’t see,” Lambert said. “The mood swings. The depression. The outbursts. The pain. And the fact that I walk in his room all throughout the night to make sure he’s still breathing. I also am terrified of the effects it can or will have on him as he grows. His body is still developing, and the brain can only take so much.”

Thankfully, it looks like Tucker will be OK.

“I feel we are headed in the right direction with a great staff of surgeons and a neurology team to help him get back to where he needs to be,” Lambert said. “And that’s a happy 15-year-old child.”

She said one of the most dangerous attitudes involved with the issue of concussions is that of parents who push their children too hard, often living through their child’s athletic success. She encourages parents to listen to their children when it comes to safety issues.

“Please listen to and observe your children,” she said. “Don’t push them so you can reap the joy and glory of saying ‘Hey that’s my son who scored six TDs.’ Love your children and put them and their health first. But most importantly, be responsible and do what’s best for your child. Not for yourself.”

Those are wise words from someone who has first-hand experience dealing with the issue. We would all be wise to listen to her.