Does your child put up a fight to get there but enjoy the activity once he has arrived?.Here are a couple of questions for you to consider as you decide what to do: This is when you have to chuck the parenting trends and studies and instead trust your intuition and what you see in front of you. Children definitely need fewer adult-led activities and more exploration and true play. Our kids are overcommitted (you admit your son is), stressed out and losing their childhoods to practices, games and being driven around for hours.īeing overscheduled leads to a decrease in boredom, which leads to a decrease in imaginative play, which leads to a decrease in creativity.
#MY TEENAGE SON WANTS TO QUIT ALL SPORTS FREE#
On the other hand, parents are constantly being lectured on the lack of free time for children. You cannot take away the hard work and perseverance. Sticking with an activity even when the going gets tough can be deeply rewarding.
Children need to “get through” or “suffer” something demanding so they can make it to the other side, experiencing the relief of finishing and the pride of sticking with something difficult.Īnd yes, this is true. On one hand, we are being told that our children need more grit and resilience. Our culture is sending some pretty intense messages, and many of them don’t match up. So, let’s accept this as a good learning (parenting) experience. Children grow exhausted, annoyed and outright angry toward their activities. I have yet to run into a parent who does not face this conundrum at some point. And I am going to make it tougher by not telling you what to do. So, should we make him play or let him quit (and actually enjoy our weekends and have quality time with him through the summer)?Ī. And yes, I think he’s overcommitted, but this is truly from his desire to play these sports, not because we want him to. For what it’s worth, he plays two other sports that he loves. I agree on teaching him about not quitting when things get tough, but I’m exhausted from forcing him to do it. My husband says that he should finish his commitment and then can choose not to play for the next season. I hate that this is the subject of our arguments. Our normally well-behaved kid is acting out at home over this and truly dreads going to baseball. We’ve invested a fair amount of money playing for this travel team, and this year’s commitment is through midsummer (at least three to four games per week).
There is a little bit of coaching politics on who is playing the exciting infield positions, and we’ve spoken to the coach on his behalf to make sure he’s getting a fair shot at them. I think it is because he is now on a team that has become more serious and there are players more skilled than he is, and he’s used to being the best on the team. He cries on a regular basis about not wanting to go to practice (because it’s “boring” and “no fun”). Our 9-year-old son is miserable playing on his year-round select baseball team. Parents also might weave life lessons about commitment into the conversation, explaining that if the child is still not enjoying the sport at season's end, then they need not necessarily return for the next season.Q. However, being by teammates or coaches may call for a different response from the parents.īarring physical or emotional danger, parents should encourage their children to persist, as persistence and overcoming adversity are among the greatest life lessons available through sports. A bad day or disappointing performance can easily pass, with a new day bringing returned enthusiasm. First, parents should converse with their kids to identify the reasons for wanting to quit. Gould suggests that if a child wants to quit sports, the parents should not panic. Tennis Association, and athletes of all ages and skill levels. He conducts research on the psychological foundations of coaching and has consulted for the U.S. Dan Gould, a PCA National Advisory Board Member and Director of Michigan State’s Institute for the Study of Youth Sports, is renowned for his work in sport psychology and mental training for athletic competition.
0 kommentar(er)
