Do you insist on your children being active?

my 10 year old is strongley into science so he really dont like to do anything else so he makes things , we dont force him to join anything he does want to join boy scotts so we are looking into that but with hin its hard because he has adhd,odd,bipolar,depression and a couple other things so its hard for him to get along with other kids, my 6 year old wants to play foot ball but they said hes to young he has to wait, and my 3 year old and 11 month old is to young for anything but they all of my kids like to walk and run around so they do that all the time also in the summer they stay really active we go camping, fishing and all kinds of things like that, i dont let my kids sit in the house all day and watch tv, or play vidoe games

I would like my children to be active in activeties. But hear wear I live it cost for the children to play in a catholic school where as it is free in a public school. Also the community has sports also they wanted to do cheerleading I can't afford it. Last year the school finally told me there was scolarships for sports I didn't know anything about it. So last year they both did track and one of them did soccer. This year there both going to do track. Plus they get out and ride there bikes and play kickball. The oldest is very thin. my youngest looks like she is the oldest. One of them took free karate lessons for a week and didn't like it I was glad it was free to try.

I think two might be a lot, depending on the amount of time required for each activity, and the child's ability to balance them with school, but if she can handle them, great! If I had kids I think I would have them try out 2 or 3 each year, and pick one or two to stick with out of those, as long as they stick with something. I didn't get involved with a lot of activities as a kid and now I wish I had.

This sounds like a very good idea, though my son is just about two, I think I should lend your style and adopt it when he grows up.

well, i agreed with make our children being active and its good for their future, but i think i do not agreed about the point 'even she doesnt like it' because, it force ur girl to do something that she doesnt comfort and enjoy...i keep my motto, the children such as like a paper, u can not drawing it with ur favourite colours on it but we can control it not force it!

this is a very interesting subject. I personally6 have done research on athletes and people who are looked upon as leaders in todays world. and i find most people who are very successful were forced into trying something, anything like what your doing with your daughter....I think its a good way to let her find what she really enjoys...with your tactics your daughter might become the next best athlete in some sport or some avenue in life.... I think your doing the right thing

i do...otherwise they'll be home making messes n playing video games all day long... my boys do baseball in the spring then fall is football for my older son and soccer for my younger son but as soon as he's of age next yr. he'll be playing football as well. my kids love it...it's not too much at all its a lot for me though taking them back and forth each day but i enjoy watching them. as long as my kids keep up their grades they will continue this routine.

Hello Laglen, I love the fact that you set parameters, yet give your daughter the power to choose her activities. Even more so, I really respect the 'no quitters' rule. I wish that more parents would adopt that rule! My view on extra-curricular activities: Children best understand what they like, and why by understanding what they don't like, and why. The desire to try new things is not a natural tendency -- it is a learned behavior. As well, the skill of analytic judgement necessary to discern between malevolent and benevolent actions or activities is similarly learned, not instinctual. Familiarizing children with the benefits of trying new things, and helping them to develop their sense of analysis & judgement renders them better able to demonstrate a more worldly sense of understanding into adulthood, and makes them better decision makers. The lesson to see a choice to the end, not give up, stick-to-it, never give in, is one of the most important in life -- as far as I'm concerned. Quitting is easy. Sticking it out, is not! Once you have the will to see it through, if your judgement deems it unwise, it's still possible to walk away. Though, if we never learn the perserverence lesson to begin with, we'll never know what is it to make a fully informed decision about either quitting or sticking it out. I applaud your commitment to your choice to parent your daughter!!!

I do not insist that my kids are in activities. I do encourage them to try them and if they sign up, they must finish what they committed to doing. My oldest had a bad fall when he was 10 and wasn't able to be in any sports for 2 yrs. He then had a hard time keeping up as he fell behind in his skills. He wasn't in activities and started to get into trouble, so I told him to get a job. He is now a very hard worker, has 2 jobs, bought his own home at the age of 19. My other kids are involved in sports. My rule is one activity per season. So it is either indoor soccer, or basketball, not both.

wow..thats great..my mom used to ask us to be active in atleast one activity..even now she remains after my life to be active and work out something or other..she herself is very active woman and keeps learning something or other..

I don't insist but I do encourage my daughter to do something. Fortunately she goes to a school that believes the outdoors are just as important as the indoors so she gets plenty of exercise and activity there but she just started soccer and I she has an interest in ice skating and gymnastics which we are looking to pursue. At 7 that may be enough for her. I do believe that when children stay involved in positive activities it is good for their minds as well as their bodies.

its always an added advantage if you child shines in more than one field....i always back your point.... nevertheless what the situation is , just do it.....it can even more pleasing if you mould your child based on his/her & pls pls dont compel them....bcoz its affects your children.....this will make them go places ..........

My 8 year old son is in footabll and it was his decision. He wanted to play so we registered him. He enjoys it and he has to go to practice on Tuesday and Thursdays and then every Saturday he has a game. My 7 year old is in Cub Scouts. He wanted to be in football with his brother but I had him choose something else. Him and his brother are always together so I wanted to seperate them a little bit and let them do their own things. And I didnt feel football was a good choice for him. He likes being able to earn badges, patches and beads and things like that and it has helped his behavior a bit. We got to his meetings every Monday and then he does things throughout the week to earn stuff. My daughter is 5 and she wants to start cheerleading. I would like to put her in but time is the problem. I dont know if I have enough time to get them to where they need to be and her as well right now. So to answer the questions, I do have them in activities. I do not insist they do anything outside of school, I leave it up to them. I insist that they go to school. The boys both like what they are doing and hopefully they will stick to it. My oldest wants to start scouts in the fall when the new school year begins. As far as the money thing goes, scouts was only $10 to enroll and then football was $75 so it wasnt too bad.

i belive that they should be active to stay fit n b able to do more things later on in life

i think the rule about 2activities is not proper for my child,as she just turned six but i see to it that she is active for a active body leads to active mind.

I do want my girls to be active but they are still a bit young to join too many things. My oldest who is 3 is in gymnastics right now and we are trying to get her into T ball but they won't let her in until she turns 5 so the coach is thinking about it since hubby said he would help coach. I want them to try different things. I think that is great that you have your daughter in different things. When I was growing up I just did dancing and wish I would of tried other things. When my younger daughter turns 3 we will either put her in dancing or gymnastics depending what she is more into.

Depending on the age and maturity level of the child, 2 activities may be too much to handle. I'm also not sure how I feel about forcing her to choose 2 each year, and forcing her to finish even if she hates it. My son is only 2 now, but when he goes to school I think that I will encourage, but not push, him to join activities. I don't find it absolutely necessary, but I can see that there are benefits. I also think that if he joined something and ends up hating it, I will talk with him about why he wants to quit. Depending on what is going on, I may encourage him to continue and give it a chance. I think just allowing him to quit without discussing it is not good because he does need to learn to see things through. At the same time, I want him to have some say in whether or not the particular activity is for him. There's no telling, but I hope that I'm able to allow him to join the activity or activities he wants to and not have to tell him no because I can't afford it.

I'm not going to force my kids to do anything they don't want to do. My parents forced us to take up extra activities and I resented it. Yeah, I like swimming and I took ballet lessons, but being as how I was forced into doing it by my parents, I don't think I enjoyed it because of that. On the flip side, my husband's parents would let them do anything extra. He couldn't play baseball or basketball or join any team. His mother was scared he'd lose and get his feelings hurt, so she tried to protect him by not allowing him to play. I only have a daughter and she's not even 1 yet. But if she wants to play then she can play whatever she wants. If she doesn't want to do anything, we won't make her.

I do not put pressure on my kids that way