Ugh so much pressure to be well rounded

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 10yo does no sports. We hike as a family on trips and go for regular walks. She can swim well and ride a bike. She’s not interested in team sports so we never pushed it. She’s tried softball, basketball, and lacrosse.

I am practically giddy about it. We have so much more time than my friends. I really don’t think any of it is worth it.

+1

[Anonymous]

I did no sports growing up. We didn’t have money for extra curriculars and I was not athletic enough to push/beg extended family to support it. As a result I was overweight and a couch potato. I also had low self esteem. We are not a crazy sports family club my kids will never be on a travel team, for example. But they will be in sports as long as I can keep them in without a fight. Thankfully they like them now. Hopefully it will stick!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is why I try my best to get my kids involved in the same sports (we have 2 boys and a girl fwiw).

They're all involved in tennis and skiing. Then one also does soccer, one does fencing, and the other does a bunch of dance classes.

Op here. My kids play a lot of different sports throughout the year. They play tennis, golf and soccer. They also love to ski. Thank god they are no longer doing swim team and boys didn’t love baseball.

Why are we such a sports obsessed society?

If they are doing this all year round, it sounds like you are doing too much. "Society" isn't sports obsessed, you are.

No, I am absolutely not sports obsessed. I never enjoyed nor was I good at sports. I don’t even like to watch sports on tv.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is why I try my best to get my kids involved in the same sports (we have 2 boys and a girl fwiw).

They're all involved in tennis and skiing. Then one also does soccer, one does fencing, and the other does a bunch of dance classes.

Op here. My kids play a lot of different sports throughout the year. They play tennis, golf and soccer. They also love to ski. Thank god they are no longer doing swim team and boys didn’t love baseball.

Why are we such a sports obsessed society?

Because no one is home for the kids to play outside anymore so they do sports to make up for that time that we all spent mucking around the neighborhood and playing kick the can and freeze tag.

My mom stayed at home and I had three siblings. I am 47. All four of us had a sport we played during the fall and spring season. And we played outside with out friends. All 4 of us played an instrument at school. Two of us were in Drama, 3 of us were in choir, 2 of us were in the marching band and symphony.

And yet we all played with kids in the neighborhood. And that was in the 1980’s. So this is not a new phenomina.

Sports are one way to teach kids how to play nicely with others, develop good social skills, learn how to win and lose, and develop some good physical habits. I play soccer and softball as an adult and I played them as a kid.

I have no idea how my Mom handled all of our activites, I know that I rode my bike or walked to them as I got older. I am sure she was overwhelmed at times like the OP sounds.

It sounds like the OPs kids have activities at school, music and art, and then sports and Scouts as the after school? I can’t imagine that it is easy with 3 kids. My kid loves his sports and his Scouts so I know why your kids do as well. Maybe look for a way to car pool?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did no sports growing up. We didn’t have money for extra curriculars and I was not athletic enough to push/beg extended family to support it. As a result I was overweight and a couch potato. I also had low self esteem. We are not a crazy sports family club my kids will never be on a travel team, for example. But they will be in sports as long as I can keep them in without a fight. Thankfully they like them now. Hopefully it will stick!

I did no sports growing up. I was not an overweight couch potato. I rode my bike, I ran around my backyard, I went jogging, etc. Not doing organized sports doesn't mean you can't exercise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I did no sports growing up. We didn’t have money for extra curriculars and I was not athletic enough to push/beg extended family to support it. As a result I was overweight and a couch potato. I also had low self esteem. We are not a crazy sports family club my kids will never be on a travel team, for example. But they will be in sports as long as I can keep them in without a fight. Thankfully they like them now. Hopefully it will stick!

I did no sports growing up. I was not an overweight couch potato. I rode my bike, I ran around my backyard, I went jogging, etc. Not doing organized sports doesn't mean you can't exercise.

I’m the pp and of course you’re right. Back then and now I wish(ed) we did have money for sports and other extras (no instruments, art or theater, nothing). And I knew my friends got to do them and I was jealous. Of course a kid can be active and a normal weight without organized sports. And if my kids hated aperitif I wouldn’t force, but for now I think it’s worth encouraging it and spending the money and time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is why I try my best to get my kids involved in the same sports (we have 2 boys and a girl fwiw).

They're all involved in tennis and skiing. Then one also does soccer, one does fencing, and the other does a bunch of dance classes.

Op here. My kids play a lot of different sports throughout the year. They play tennis, golf and soccer. They also love to ski. Thank god they are no longer doing swim team and boys didn’t love baseball.

Why are we such a sports obsessed society?

Because no one is home for the kids to play outside anymore so they do sports to make up for that time that we all spent mucking around the neighborhood and playing kick the can and freeze tag.

My mom stayed at home and I had three siblings. I am 47. All four of us had a sport we played during the fall and spring season. And we played outside with out friends. All 4 of us played an instrument at school. Two of us were in Drama, 3 of us were in choir, 2 of us were in the marching band and symphony.

And yet we all played with kids in the neighborhood. And that was in the 1980’s. So this is not a new phenomina.

Sports are one way to teach kids how to play nicely with others, develop good social skills, learn how to win and lose, and develop some good physical habits. I play soccer and softball as an adult and I played them as a kid.

I have no idea how my Mom handled all of our activites, I know that I rode my bike or walked to them as I got older. I am sure she was overwhelmed at times like the OP sounds.

It sounds like the OPs kids have activities at school, music and art, and then sports and Scouts as the after school? I can’t imagine that it is easy with 3 kids. My kid loves his sports and his Scouts so I know why your kids do as well. Maybe look for a way to car pool?

I had a similar childhood in the 80s but the big thing that has changed is that these kid sports 1) start earlier and 2) seem to demand way more of your time. I played soccer and my siblings played softball and baseball at various times. We only ever had one practice per week and one game per week. And no sport teams expect you to play it year-round -- swim in summer, soccer in Fall, baseball/softball in Spring.

[Anonymous]

Who is demanding this?

[Anonymous]

Then why do it all? My kids do one sport, and one lesson. That is all, because I will not drive them everywhere. Kids need downtime to play, relax and yes (gasp) be bored. I'm an older mom, so I don't buy into all the "pressure" BS.

You are doing this to yourself, so stop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who is demanding this?

+1. "We" are not a sports-obsessed society. Certain groups are sports-obsessed, and you decide whether you want to buy into it. If the kids like it and you can afford it, I think it's nice to let them play a sport or two. But it's not like they won't get into college if they don't play a sport every season (and in fact, elite colleges don't even like well-rounded students. They prefer students who have demonstrated passion and commitment to one or two things that are really, really important to them).

[Anonymous]

No one forced you to have 3 kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is why I try my best to get my kids involved in the same sports (we have 2 boys and a girl fwiw).

They're all involved in tennis and skiing. Then one also does soccer, one does fencing, and the other does a bunch of dance classes.

Op here. My kids play a lot of different sports throughout the year. They play tennis, golf and soccer. They also love to ski. Thank god they are no longer doing swim team and boys didn’t love baseball.

Why are we such a sports obsessed society?

Because no one is home for the kids to play outside anymore so they do sports to make up for that time that we all spent mucking around the neighborhood and playing kick the can and freeze tag.

My mom stayed at home and I had three siblings. I am 47. All four of us had a sport we played during the fall and spring season. And we played outside with out friends. All 4 of us played an instrument at school. Two of us were in Drama, 3 of us were in choir, 2 of us were in the marching band and symphony.

And yet we all played with kids in the neighborhood. And that was in the 1980’s. So this is not a new phenomina.

Sports are one way to teach kids how to play nicely with others, develop good social skills, learn how to win and lose, and develop some good physical habits. I play soccer and softball as an adult and I played them as a kid.

I have no idea how my Mom handled all of our activites, I know that I rode my bike or walked to them as I got older. I am sure she was overwhelmed at times like the OP sounds.

It sounds like the OPs kids have activities at school, music and art, and then sports and Scouts as the after school? I can’t imagine that it is easy with 3 kids. My kid loves his sports and his Scouts so I know why your kids do as well. Maybe look for a way to car pool?

I'm not particularly sympathetic with OP, but all activities were a different ballgame when we were kids. MUCH less intense.

[Anonymous]

Even if you have only one sport per season, that sport can take up two practices and a game each, in one week. It all becomes crazy fast.

I have three too. Music lessons for us are done via private lessons in the home to avoid driving around, scouts was dropped once the third started doing sports, and we do one sport per kid per season - I try to carpool as much as I can.

[Anonymous]

Cut back on the sports then--one sport per child per year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who is demanding this?

+1. "We" are not a sports-obsessed society. Certain groups are sports-obsessed, and you decide whether you want to buy into it. If the kids like it and you can afford it, I think it's nice to let them play a sport or two. But it's not like they won't get into college if they don't play a sport every season (and in fact, elite colleges don't even like well-rounded students. They prefer students who have demonstrated passion and commitment to one or two things that are really, really important to them).

+1