Lego Set for Soccer - 10 YO Boy

[Anonymous]

yes i'm talking about bribing him to play soccer in spring by buying him an expensive ($90) lego set he really wants (on his 11-yo bday present list).

he's signed up for spring baseball, with the understanding that he's only going to do one spring sport. but i'd like to increase his physical activities still because baseball just doesn't move nearly as much as soccer, which he has done since K and enjoyed for the most part except when they lost badly at games. i'm regretting re baseball but that ship has sailed...

so far i've only bribed him with screen time for extra exercise, but i think the soccer commitment warrants something much bigger. we've never bought large lego sets $50 or more and only as rare X'mas presents.

anyone BTDT and thought this might not be a good idea? tks!

[Anonymous]

Not a good idea. Can he ride his bike, walk, scoot, or skate to and from baseball?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not a good idea. Can he ride his bike, walk, scoot, or skate to and from baseball?

PP here. I only clicked on this thread because I thought it would be about sports-themed lego set for older kids. Bummer.

[Anonymous]

Sorry OP, but I'm getting an unsettling vibe from the words and tone you use. All this talk of bribing, grading sports on level of dynamism, only focusing on team sports and ignoring other forms of exercise...

My poorly-coordinated 10 year old is a disaster on a team. We have done swimming, gym and ballet. We bike or go walking every weekend. We could also have tried martial arts, fencing and rock climbing (we will actually try rock-climbing). All these things develop discipline, strength and flexibility. He gets socialization from other, non-athletic activities he participates in.

I have given my son Lego sets as gifts before, to thank him for making great efforts (not for achievement, but for effort), but only AFTER the fact. I did not tell him before, but merely asked him to do his best.

[Anonymous]

he isn't willing to do another individual sport either. biking etc is good and he does that occasionally, sometimes bribed with video game time , but the two weekly soccer practices were really a great, great workout for him in the past and it'd take hours of biking to replicate the effects. that's the main reason i'm kicking myself for switching him to baseball from soccer.

[Anonymous]

You seem a bit obsessive. Does he have a weight problem? My kid is addicted to his trampoline. Is that an option?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:he isn't willing to do another individual sport either. biking etc is good and he does that occasionally, sometimes bribed with video game time , but the two weekly soccer practices were really a great, great workout for him in the past and it'd take hours of biking to replicate the effects. that's the main reason i'm kicking myself for switching him to baseball from soccer.

Can he go to the playground and run around after school, now the weather's nice?

Is he overweight, does he have hyperactive ADHD, is there an urgent reason why he absolutely has to have more exercise this spring? You may have made a mistake, but to him it's a deal. Why not sign him up for more exercise this summer, and next year?

[Anonymous]

yes he is overweight and doesn't get out on his own much - when he does, he's more interested in killing ants and what not than say running around on a play ground...

will look into trampoline. tks.

[Anonymous]

You aren't by any chance the same mom who said not nice things to her kid about his weight then apologized, are you?

[Anonymous]

How tall is he? Children ebb and flow weight-wise all the time as they grow.

Also, it sounds like he's active enough for a 10 yo. Losing weight, if that's required by his doctor, is 10X more about food than exercise. But even so, it's be more beneficial to take family walks after dinner each night than it would to force him to play soccer. Get a dog and walk it (or if you have one, make him come with you).

[Anonymous]

he's 5' so a born big kid but we just want him to move more otherwise he'll just read or play legos all day long. he's not getting the recommanded 45-min/day right now.

[Anonymous]

As a PP said, shape, health and weight is about self-control and a healthy relationship with food. NOT how much exercise you're getting. Why? Because there are many obstacles to exercise, and there will be times in his life when he won't be able to - perhaps in high school or college, or if he's working long hours at his job. My point is that exercise possibilities fluctuate in our lives, yet we all have to eat every day. You're battling with this now, because your kid apparently doesn't like to round around that much, but some families are very athletic and don't understand that their eating is out of control until one of them stops exercising...

It's much more to your son's health benefit to focus on his nutrition, and as long as he's in some sort of exercise year-round, try not to sweat the sports part.

[Anonymous]

i see we're getting off track here...

back to OP: has anyone bribed their kids with legos for physical activities that backfired?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:i see we're getting off track here...

back to OP: has anyone bribed their kids with legos for physical activities that backfired?

I don't think it's off track though. I think the consensus this far is people think it's a bad idea and they're saying why.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:yes he is overweight and doesn't get out on his own much - when he does, he's more interested in killing ants and what not than say running around on a play ground...

will look into trampoline. tks.

OP, I would look into hiking or groups like this:
http://theelementsdc.com

I'd first try karate, ice skating, yoga, parkour, fencing, track, swimming, rock climbing...Find something that sparks his interest. I don't think you'd need the bribe otherwise.