Kids Have No Interest In UMC Activities

[Anonymous]

You did not phrase this well. Do your kids have any non-screen extracurricular activities? They need to get some, regardless of what it is. Lots of umc people don't do those things. You may want to ask yourself what is important to you regarding them learning these specific activities.

[Anonymous]

I’ve gone skiing exactly twice in my life, haven’t played tennis in over 15 years, can’t play piano, have only ever played mini golf, and yet still manage to be UMC. This month I talked with a law partner about Britney Spears, and another about Married at First Sight. Next week I will officially be a law partner too.

[Anonymous]

Are you calling the UMC activities when you talk to your kids and try to convince them? If so, I'd reject them too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve gone skiing exactly twice in my life, haven’t played tennis in over 15 years, can’t play piano, have only ever played mini golf, and yet still manage to be UMC. This month I talked with a law partner about Britney Spears, and another about Married at First Sight. Next week I will officially be a law partner too.

Congrats!

[Anonymous]

No, I can’t relate. My boys have been skiing, swimming, playing tennis, golf and soccer since they were little. They love to ski.

I had strict no screens when they were kids. Both my 12 and 14yo did play games online during Covid but back to their active lives now. I encourage them to hang out with friends.

[Anonymous]

Hey kids, we are going skiing- then take away phones/electronics. They can ski with you or read a book in their rooms. They need screen free time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was wondering what a umc activity. I never heard of an activity that a person did only to be with people wealthier. Except for golf these are all enjoyed by middle class families. Even golf has public courses. Tennis has public course, all you bring is balls and rackets.

Have you ever taken them to public courts to bounce the ball around with rackets to see if they might like it? If they don’t want to immediately leave, sign them up for a small group lessons. You’ll find out if you like it or not. Skiing you can go for a weekend and try it out. They might like or or they might hate it. Piano is a common instrument to start with but maybe ask them what they might like, bass guitar? brass instrument?

What activities have you brought to that they enjoyed or hated? Just don’t pick an activity that you think only rich people do it. That’s pathetic.

Oh please - horseback riding, skiing etc are expensive. Unfortunately access is tough outside of UMC. Of course there are ppl who can manage it without as many resources, perhaps more so our west, but you sound ridiculously out of touch while trying to be woke.

[Anonymous]

I grew up LMC with very few opportunities so I try to offer everything. My kid isn’t interested in most. I limit screen time to an hour on weekends and always have so I don’t think that’s it. He plays one sport and does math enrichment. That’s what he’s in to. I remind him he’s welcome to try new things and he recently asked to start a new instrument. With teens the more you push the harder they dig in.

[Anonymous]

When you say “let’s go play basketball” or “let’s go for a hike” or “let’s play a card game” and your kids are fine with it, then your Kids are perfectly fine and you are a snob.

But if when you say those things they refuse for video games, then your problem isn’t umc activities, it is too many video games.

[Anonymous]

Can’t relate to the skiing thing since we go as a family and they simply don’t have a choice to be on screens as an alternative. As for instruments - I would have loved for them to learn to play our gorgeous piano but they chose other instruments. The choice was theirs - they had to play an instrument up through middle school but it was their choice which one.

I hate golf and so do they. One loves tennis, the others don’t. They took beginner lessons in all but chose their own sport to focus on (via school).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When you say “let’s go play basketball” or “let’s go for a hike” or “let’s play a card game” and your kids are fine with it, then your Kids are perfectly fine and you are a snob.

But if when you say those things they refuse for video games, then your problem isn’t umc activities, it is too many video games.

I posted above that my kids have been skiing, golfing, playing tennis since little. They also have been to many national parks, zoos, aquariums, children’s museums and science centers. It isn’t like I was trying to pick UMC activities.

Sounds like OP’s kids just have too much screen time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are you waiting to teach these things as teens? What activities did they do as young kids? My kids have learned everything you mentioned in elementary school so now as teens they enjoy them.

+1
I wanted to ski, so I took them to ski school while I skied. Now they ski with me. I also put them in tennis camps, sleep away summer camp, horse back riding lessons etc. My youngest complained at first, but by 7-9, depending on the activity, she decided she really enjoys these things. OP, you cannot reap what you don't sow.

Nd then teens go through a phase where they stop doing things. This isn’t about good parenting. It is about teens.

OP there is no magic to those activities. Forget honing “UMC” activities and just encourage them to get exercise. Walks, basketball, the pool, soccer, air hockey, whatever they will do. Nobody plays golf anymore and skiing is not a barometer of social class.

[Anonymous]

My kids don't ski - it's fine. And they definitely went through phases in which they didn't do a lot. But, OP, you do have to force them off screens at some point. Take them on a day trip and leave their phones, go on vacation, head down to a museum, or even invite their friends over and go on a hike --- if you give them the choice and they prefer the games and you don't limit, you will have pretty boring kids.

[Anonymous]

If you’re selecting activities based on their class markers instead of what you actually want to do, there’s the problem …

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When you say “let’s go play basketball” or “let’s go for a hike” or “let’s play a card game” and your kids are fine with it, then your Kids are perfectly fine and you are a snob.

But if when you say those things they refuse for video games, then your problem isn’t umc activities, it is too many video games.

This!