Why do parents sign their sons and daughters up for different activities?

[Anonymous]

We make our kids do one sport in the arts (ballet) and one cardio sport (squash). We have 3 boys and 1 girl. Two of my boys are dancing the Nutcracker right now. We don’t allow full contact sports or anything with too much anger (tennis).

[Anonymous]

I made my sons go to a hip hop dance class because I was made to go to ballet as a child. They were great at it but the only boys in the entire recital. So maybe 2 out of 150.

It was really fun to watch the toddler girls staring at my boys through the classroom window. And to watch their moms explaining it.

So...my boys put up with it on a one-time basis but were not willing to continue.

Somewhere I have a hilarious dance pro picture of them together in the faux streetwear chosen for the recital.

At least I struck a tiny blow for gender equity!

[Anonymous]

Even if they both play rec soccer, they can't be on the same team. And the girls games are often on a different field miles away from the boys games. I could go on and on.

[Anonymous]

I learned what sports I disliked from our older child and am introducing different sports to our younger child. Gender is not a big factor.

[Anonymous]

There’s been at least 1 girl on every team my sons have been on

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We make our kids do one sport in the arts (ballet) and one cardio sport (squash). We have 3 boys and 1 girl. Two of my boys are dancing the Nutcracker right now. We don’t allow full contact sports or anything with too much anger (tennis).

Too much anger in tennis? What!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We make our kids do one sport in the arts (ballet) and one cardio sport (squash). We have 3 boys and 1 girl. Two of my boys are dancing the Nutcracker right now. We don’t allow full contact sports or anything with too much anger (tennis).

Wut?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We make our kids do one sport in the arts (ballet) and one cardio sport (squash). We have 3 boys and 1 girl. Two of my boys are dancing the Nutcracker right now. We don’t allow full contact sports or anything with too much anger (tennis).

Too much anger in tennis? What!

Lolz but yet this rich person plays squash. Spare us all

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was talking to another parent recently, and she mentioned that because I have 2 daughters, they can do the same activities. But she has a boy and a girl, so they're signed up for completely different sports. Her son doesn't even like one of the sports he's in.

Why is that? Are boys and girls interested in different things, or do parents tend to not want to sign their sons up for dance, gymnastics, cheer, etc.?

Gender is a cluster of correlated traits. Have you never noticed this?

[Anonymous]

They are both individuals and have different interests. I didn’t choose their activities, they chose. They happen to both do one sport but my daughter also chooses to play a different sport. She likes to sing but my son hates it. He likea camping so he does scouts, my daughter hates it. It’s their choice.

[Anonymous]

The American way: Girls get enrolled in dance and gymnastics. Boys get enrolled in football, baseball, basketball.

Personally, I grew up in dance and gymnastics and find them useless and toxic. Now we know contact sports have a large impact on the brain, so hard no to that too.

I put my son and daughter in tennis and swimming from a young age, and now as teens, they are still in them and enjoy their sports very much. Hoping they can find joy in them for their whole life while staying fit as adults.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The American way: Girls get enrolled in dance and gymnastics. Boys get enrolled in football, baseball, basketball.

Personally, I grew up in dance and gymnastics and find them useless and toxic. Now we know contact sports have a large impact on the brain, so hard no to that too.

I put my son and daughter in tennis and swimming from a young age, and now as teens, they are still in them and enjoy their sports very much. Hoping they can find joy in them for their whole life while staying fit as adults.

Smart person

[Anonymous]

OP I think you should ask that parent. We can’t answer for that specific family. We sign our kids up for what they enjoy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was talking to another parent recently, and she mentioned that because I have 2 daughters, they can do the same activities. But she has a boy and a girl, so they're signed up for completely different sports. Her son doesn't even like one of the sports he's in.

Why is that? Are boys and girls interested in different things, or do parents tend to not want to sign their sons up for dance, gymnastics, cheer, etc.?

Both. Also, sometimes boys and girls are interested in different things because they're different people. Or because they want to do the sport their BFFs are doing and those parents do focus heavily on gender. Some parents of same-gender kids insist on making them a package deal, which I think is just as weird as obsessing about how boys and girls are different.

I have G, B, B and for this year, at least, all three are doing club swim. It's glorious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I made my sons go to a hip hop dance class because I was made to go to ballet as a child. They were great at it but the only boys in the entire recital. So maybe 2 out of 150.

It was really fun to watch the toddler girls staring at my boys through the classroom window. And to watch their moms explaining it.

So...my boys put up with it on a one-time basis but were not willing to continue.

Somewhere I have a hilarious dance pro picture of them together in the faux streetwear chosen for the recital.

At least I struck a tiny blow for gender equity!

Lol, no you didn’t. you just embarrassed your sons for your own amusement.