Would you ever make your children play sports even though they didn't want to?

The rule at our house is, she can try something but has to finish the season. Then if she decides she doesn't like it, then she doesn't have to do it again. Not every activity is for every kid. I require that my daughter do two extra curriculars. This year she is on the yearbook staff and takes guitar lessons. Last year she played volley ball and soccer and took guitar.

I think it depends on the situation. I think if my son wanted to play soccer, then decided he didn't like it, I would make him at least finish out the season. If he was forced to play from the beginning, I would try to convince my husband to let him quit. I think your husband is right about what he said.

I wouldn't make my kids do something they wouldn't want to do as far as extra activities. Last year I put my daughter in dancing school and could tell she didn't really enjoy it so I took her out before the review came. Her cousin stood in and when we went to the recital she wanted to go back but I knew she still wouldn't like it so I put her in gymnastics. She loves gymnastics. She gets to run, jump, flip, hang, and climb. Everything a little kid likes to do but this is safer. Anyway I would like her to try other sports to see if she would like doing those. I do have to wait until she is 4 but I plan to put her in t-ball and soccer to see if she likes it if she does great but if she doesn't I won't force her to keep doing it. Same goes for my younger daughter when she gets old enough I will do the samething with her.

My thoughts are that there must be another reason besides wanting to do other things...Possibly he is being picked on or something and he just doesn't want to tell you...How old is your son? Encouraging him to stay is a great idea but if something or someone is troubling him you have to find out...and if he thinks he won't have time to read or paint then let him know that he can do all three....Correct me if I'm wrong but reading and painting are things that he can do alone...Maybe he is just not into being around alot of people and would prefer to be alone...but then that isn't good either.... If he truly does not like it then it would be okay to quit...He did try and that is all you can really ask of him.... If he loves painting and reading that is really wonderful..... I loved sports myself and made sure that I was involved year around...but sports aren't for everyone... This is a hard decision, but one you must make together..Your husband shouldn't force your son to stay if he doesn't want to... I hope I helped....

How old is your son? Sometimes kids want to do something and then change their minds when they see its reall a lot of practice and hard work. Also, if he is already on a team, then he needs to stick with it and finish the season so that he learns the value of a team effort and that quitting a team hurts everyone on the team. After the season is over, then if he doesn't want to play, I wouldn't force him to, but I would make some sort of compromise so he can pursue his interests but at the same time stay physically active which is so important for kids today. Good luck!

Yes. My daughter is not good at sports. She always likes to stay at home. Till now, she even can't ride bicycles.For this, her father has ever been worried about it. He has ever tried many ways to make my honey move more. But not successful. I don't know how to solve that?

Let the boy develop the talents he was born with. Forcing him to play soccer will only make him hate it more. If he learns to do the things he likes he will stick with them and not be a quitter. Did he sign up of his own free will? I doubt it. Who made him start? He should only be made to finish the things he started on his own. I hope you can convince your husband that he should let the boy do the things he likes to do. There might be a sort of "macho" thing with your husband. He may think his son will be a nerd if he doesn't go out for sports. He needs to realize that a great many men made their mark on this world without being into sports. Your son may find a sport he likes as he gets older, too. My son was not into athletics at all. In high school he started snowboarding and he is now ranked 7th in the nation. Kids grow and change and they need the chance to find themselves, by themselves.

I would talk to your son and ask him to give it a chance. If he still doesn't want to play when the season is over, he won't have to. Talk to your husband and see if this deal would work with him. This way your son won't feel pressured into something he doesn't want to do and he won't resent your hubby or you for forcing him into it. Your husband is right in a way.......you do have to teach them early that once they start something, they have to finish it even if they don't like it so when they get jobs, if they don't like it, it won't be so easy for them to quit. They will learn that they need another job inline before they can quit. Good Luck

hello sev123, I guess, making the children play sports even though they don't like is not a good idea. For they will not learn from it anyway. Besides they will not enjoy it. They are just doing it because your husband is forcing them to do it. Is like taking a course that you don't like in college because your parents say so. They are physically present but mentally absent. Maybe advice your children to try it first but if they really don't like it after a day or two then I guess, better talk and convince your husband not to force them. For it's not only your children will suffer even him.

I have never forced any of my kids to do anything like that that they do not want to. I strongly feel that forcing them to do sports or music ,etc. would only cause them to be resentful and perhaps never want to try again later on when otherwise they may have a change of heart. All kids are different and have different interests. I have always encouraged my kids to give different things a try and stick with it for a while. If they absolutely don't like it, then sure, they can drop it. Also such forcing could cause a kid to be leary of trying something they aren't really sure about because they KNOW that if it turns out they don't like it then they'll be stuck with it. For all the time, these things take up in a kid's life, I think it is wrong for them to be forced. My daughter is into basketball & has always loved the sport. She's good at it. Last year she wanted to take the season off & my ex was furious and began told her that she HAD to go. I intervened and told him my thoughts. He wasn't happy but relented and admitted that maybe I was right. Well guess what? This year she is signing up for basketball on her own and today was out on the court practicing. So I'm with you on this sev.

hi sev123, Why did you enrolled him in soccer team if he didn't like it at all. He prefer to read and paint meaning he like to do indoor activities. Maybe you can introduce less physical sport/indoor game. Well you can teach him Pin-Pong,Badminton or even Futsal. For me parents need to encourage their son/daughter not to force them.You can introduce other kind of sport, so that he can mingle with other friends and keep healthy. good luck lankapo

Every person has its own likes and dislikes, inclination to do better if he/she is enjoying what he/she is doing. In sports, it must be the desire of the individual so that he/she can endure the energy and everything the sports asked from him/her. If he doesn't like soccer, free him, because he will be a good victim of accident for he dislike what he is doing. The child learns more if he/she has the inclination to it. Your son love reading or painting. Give him the support to reach the top of his desires.

everytime childrens have to be encouraged into the things in which they are interested into. now as your son is not interested into soccar and he is interested into other activities, i think he should be encouraged into that who knows may be he will reach a bigger place into his likes. but try to convince your son first and try to make him understand that he can have a good future into soccar if he understands and takes interest and do well into it then its fine but if you force him more and then i think it will be just waste as the boy is not interested. even i am a parent and i can understand the parents expectation from childrens but it is not possible that the childrens have to fullfill our expectations as even they have their own interest and ideas and i think it is more important to know about their thoughts and then decide somethng. but remember childrens cant be forced to do something in which they are not interested into.

i will make my children sports because one day they will need it.

Absolutely not. Although sports are healthy for kids, I would find other ways for him to get his fitness, while trying to make it fun. Things such as rollerblading, bike riding etc. Your son is obviously more artistic than sporty and forcing him to take part in a team sport will just make him hate it even more and resent his father for making him do something he clearly does not want to do. I think as his mother you have to step up to your husband and say he does not want to play soccer, so we will be pulling him out of it'. I understand your husband wanting to teach him a life lesson, but this is not the way to go about it. Perhaps tell your husband that instead of soccer you can enrol him in art classes? Stick up for your son.

yeah i wouldn;t make my kids play if they didn't want too. my son wanted to basketball so we let him, i think your son wants to paint is way cool.. i would talk to your husand to let him stop if he don't want too. get him into painting leasons.

sev I was in the exact situation, only with football not soccer. And this child was mine from my first marriage which made it even harder. I can tell you I think that your husband is correct. Your son has to finish what he started. My son is now 26. He was always a mild kid but very hyper. He did really well in flag football. When he put on the pads it was a whole different deal. My husband went to every practice. My son would cry sometimes and my husband would talk with him, defend him when he got a raw deal, and tell him when he should "suck it up". When we realized just how much he hated it, we told him that it would be his last season if that was what he chose. However, we paid for the season, in life we just don't quit in the middle of something. He went to practice and participated and most of all survived. Now he talks about "playing ball" has some trophies to show and is glad we made him finish the season. Sometimes men see things much differently than we do. Mom's nature is to protect and nurture which sometimes stops Dad's from teaching boys to be boys... To toughen up and endure. This is a crucial decision as it will affect so many things to come. It is my opinion that your son should have to finish the season. Reevaluate next year and see where that leads.

Well, I do think it's important for your child to learn that they can't quit when the going gets tough. I think it depends on a few things. Did he choose to do soccer, did it cost money to do, how long has he been doing it? If it costs to start and he chose the sport then I think I would make them finish explaining that he has to finish since it otherwise would be a waste of money ect. Unless he wants to pay you back for the amount it cost to start up. I don't have a good answer for you though except that it's so tough making all these parental decisions and I feel for you. I wish you the best of luck with this and no matter what you decide to do, I'm sure it will not have a negative lasting impact regardless.

i feel children should play some form of sports to keep them healthy and maintain their fitness. not playing any is likely to turn him into someone less sporting and inactive. i do feel that if one do not like to be involve in active sports when young, he is likely to be an introvert and less active in participation when it comes to school. i see a link in there from my experiences. this is also why i am preparing my child too. he is mad over basketball or soccer and whenever, he sees one, he would come running over and can play with the ball for hours by picking it up and throwing it again. btw, he is 1yr 3 mths and is a lot bigger than most children his age. i am not tall about 1.66 same as his mom but we are both sportpersons so i guess he inherit some of our genes..

Well getting kids into sports is the best way to get them outta the house when they're 17. or 18 if you prefer lol. Why dont you play with your son more like with soccer skills so he can enjoy it more. if not then ask what sport he would like to play. Swimming is always good, so is contact sports and track and Basketball. Rugby is always fun.