Parents 7 year old--make them do other sports/activities too?

[emorymom]

When kids balk sometimes it's good to try to figure out why. My son recently announced out of the blue that he did not want to swim summer league. He has always enjoyed summer league competition. Had to dig a bit because he kept giving me reasons that made no sense. Turns out the issue is that he was recently diagnosed with a food allergy and he won't be able to eat the same things at the meets that he always has so he figure he'd just skip it. I assured him that we could bring substitutes and he would have as much fun as ever. He is sceptical. He's my child that is very nostalgic about his past.

 

[BlairBob]

Well, as a coach I never want to see my gymnasts missing time from my sport for another. Heck, I've been known to be irritable if they are coming into gym and being burnt out from another sport on their off gym days. I'm not a fan of two sports a day either. Maybe in some cases but in general, no. That little guy doesn't want to play baseball anymore so I wouldn't bother. I wouldn't appreciate as a coach having a kid who didn't want to be there for gymnastics (boy or girl) and I can't imagine that baseball coach would feel any different.

 

[happychaos]

I wouldn't make DD do another sport, but she does take violin lessons. Sometimes she loves it, sometimes she hates it, but I make her continue because I see value in music as a lifelong passion/hobby/skill. For most kids gymnastics is just a thing they do when they are young. Very few progress to elite/college/coaching. Not that what she learns from gym isn't valuable, it IS. But I want to see her doing something that she can be involved with at every age.

 

[Pickle's Mom]

But baseball is far from essential.

Spoken like a true Canadian.

 

[wallinbl]

Be happy your son has found something he really likes. I have one daughter that loves gymnastics and it's fantastic that she found a passion early on. My younger daughter has tried many things, but stuck with none of them. It's a bit saddening that she hasn't yet found something she really enjoys.