Moms what would you do? So my daughters’ aunt is paying for both them to do cheer. My oldest(9) has been adamant she wants to try cheer because she was bullied in softball. Then my second oldest (7) first wanted to play softball. Soft ball season came neither one of them wanted to play because they both said they want to wait for cheer. Okay fine no big deal. Here we are cheer sign ups are tomorrow and my second oldest all of a sudden doesnt want to do it anymore. Now Im that mom that once your school age you have to do something. I dont care if its 4-h, girl scouts, boy scouts (i have 2 sons who are entering school age), football, baseball, cheer, etc. I dont care what it is you have to do something because my kids are the type that when they have to much free time they get in trouble on the daily and i dont want them sitting infront of the tv playing video games either. With that said should I still sign her up and make her go and atleast try it being that Im not the one paying for it? Ive mentioned everything else I could think of to her and she said no to it all.
Yikes. It’s fine to encourage them into activities but forcing them isn’t going to be as helpful in keeping them out of trouble as you think it will be.
This is the point where you look into options that revolve around your child’s actual interests and encourage that.
I wouldn’t force her to do a sport. Not all kids are athletic. Find out what she’s interested in and go towards that.
No… Would you want to be forced to do something you don’t want to do? If you force her she will not want to do them. Let her choose what she wants to do…
Let her decide, there’s probably a fun summer camp around your area try that, she’s allowed to change her mind, it’s your job to provide the options, and if at the end of the day all she wants to do is be a kid all summer then let her enjoy her time off from everything. Maybe plan activities together instead of a sport. Let her have choices that’s important it builds your bond.
Kids need to decide what they are want to do and what makes them happier. I told my girls they did need to choses something even if it’s drama, music etc. They need to find something besides sitting at home. Finding camps and short sessions for sports so they can find which sport they like.
I wouldn’t. Give her time. I was the same way and tried so many things with my daughter. Dance Girl Scouts baton twirl Pompom cheerleading. I made her try them and she disliked all of it. The misery in one rubs off on all of them. It’s not fair to the ones who have their heart in it completely. My daughter is now almost 11 and in her third year of soccer and is doing great. She loves it!
i am like this too… i want my children to be active in something, but this year my daughter has been so overwhelmed at school… second grade and the girl drama has already begun… so i told her for next year i want her to think about what she really wants to do and then we can limit what activities based on what she feels she wants
No. If they don’t want to, don’t force it. If they don’t want to do anything, don’t force it.
Encourage, not force.
Just spend more time together as a family
Children do not need to be busy, let em be kids.
How about art classes, skating, tennis, creative dance (ballet is so rigid), music, individual activities vs. sports?
Absolutely not!! Let them decide for themselves if they wanna do a certain sport. My son’s band director once told me he can tell the difference between a child that’s forced to do something Vs one that chooses to do something based on their performance.
A kid is supposed to enjoy whatever they choose to do. Weather it’s cheering, playing ball, or even in band. And if she’s not willing to do any of that then find a hobby she may enjoy doing. I agree it’s good to keep a kid involved doing something just don’t FORCE them to do it.
Don’t force them to do anything. If you force them to participate in a sport or activity that they don’t want to do, you’ll end up with a kid that doesn’t give it their all and they’ll resent you.
The rule we have is that if the kid says they want to do something, we sign them up and if they decide that they don’t want to do it anymore, they have to finish the current season but they don’t have to sign up again the following season.
My son went through one season of baseball and one season of wrestling before he started football. Football is his sport.
My daughter did one season of cheer. She didn’t like it, so she didn’t do it again. Now she wants to try soccer.
I don’t force them into anything because if we’re going to shell out all that time and money, we want it to be something that our child(ren) enjoy.
I do to keep my kids busy and out of trouble.
because being in school all day long wasn’t enough.
I would tell her she has to at least try it for a session. That doesn’t work out try something else out.
You don’t force your child to do anything
You should encourage them but NEVER EVER force them to do something they do not want to do .
Maybe they are not into sports and that should be Oky ,
Go for the arts , maybe they will fell more comfortable, learning to play an instrument, or art classes
Also , if they have been bullied you can ask them if they will want to learn some self defense, karate , boxing , something like that .
Learning how to defend themselves will also help with self control and self esteem
Then shut up. She don’t want to, don’t force her. She’ll hate it and despise you. She spends all day at school. That’s enough to say no to any school activities.
Don’t force them to do anything…
I would hate my parents if they’d forced that stuff
If you force her she isn’t going to give it her all because she doesn’t want to do it.
Don’t force cheer, definitely be sure she knows the deadline to change her mind (even if that deadline is tomorrow), that way she can’t say you didn’t tell her that her decision is final this year at least. She might see her sister have so much fun, she changes her mind for next year. Other things you can try though is art (pottery, painting, ceramics, glass etching, ect), music (singing lessons, piano, guitar, theater, ect), then of course karate, dance and all the stuff you mentioned. Another option could be some kind of technology or science thing. It just starts with an open honest conversation with her.
The only time I “strongly encouraged” my kids to play was IF they chose a team sport they HAD to finish that season because teams rely on each other, or when they were older and had to try out and earned a spot in a team.