4 year old boy HATES sports, refuses to try or participate, anyone BTDT?

[Anonymous]

4 year old boy HATES sports. claims he's "tired" and lays on the ground on the sidelines at soccer. acts up in other sports classes being silly, doing anything but whatever they're trying to do. since a SUPER young age has had zero interest in balls, zero interest in participating in anything sports related. holds zero attention span to throw a ball with his dad. disclaimer: i totally get he may not be into sports, and clearly he may never wind up an athlete, and that's 100% ok with us, he can do music, art, etc. but at age 4, everyone in his school/in our neighborhood does the soccer. it's what everyone's doing - including all his friends - on saturday mornings. and his utter refusal to participate and behavior about it is just odd. is it even worth continuing with it? DH is concerned that it will be hard to go through a childhood, as a BOY, and feel this way about sports since it seems so many of our friend's boys who are older just do baseball, soccer, etc. all year long for activities. thanks.

[Anonymous]

He is 4. Of course he doesn't have to do soccer if he doesn't want to. I speak as the parent of a five year old boy who has firmly rejected attempts at soccer and t-ball. Right now he is doing ukulele lessons. He likes those pretty well.

[Anonymous]

Yep. He's 14 and still hates sports. Very good with his musical instrument. Very, very strong academically. Great kid. If your kid hates soccer, why are you forcing it? You can't force him to be exactly like every other kid. And you shouldn't want him to be.

[Anonymous]

He's only 4. Let it go and see how he does in the future. My kids are great athletes - enthusiastic and hard working. But none started before age 7.

[Anonymous]

Quit pushing your preschooler to join organized sports.

Problem solved.

[Anonymous]

Don't make him do it

[Anonymous]

You completely deserve it when he grows up to be a teenager and tells you that he's only smoking pot because "everyone" does it. Ick. You sound exactly like my tweenage daughter. Who cares what everyone does on Saturday morning. Parent your kid, not theirs.

[Anonymous]

Team sports at age four is for the parents, not the kids.

Especially a sport that requires foot coordination like soccer.

Except for the random prodigy, four year olds do not have the gross motor skills yet for soccer.

[Anonymous]

Why the hell do people sign 4 year olds up for organized sports?

[Anonymous]

This will only backfire on you OP. 1. You are solidifying his disdain for the sport by forcing it. 2. You think you are doing it for his social life, but the other kids are watching him now and forming opinions. And if he eventually gets out there on the field in first grade and still hates it and stinks, these kids will not be his friends anyway.

Let him find his friends in the activities he does like.

[Anonymous]

If you had a daugher, would she also be forced to play soccer?

[Anonymous]

My SIL signed their kids up for a bunch of activities at a young age, so I felt like I had to. My son cried at soccer and bball. He's only 4.

I finally realized what I was doing was stupid. It was a waste of money, time and worst of all it was taking something that was supposed to be fun and making it torture.

When he asks to do a sport, I'll sign him up. Right now he has a swim lesson once a week and goes to junior kindergarten. That's it.

Maybe he'll do sports, maybe Boy Scouts or an instrument but I'm not dragging him there especially since it was my idea to begin with.

[Anonymous]

Seriously, OP, listen to yourself. "Everyone's doing it..." Is that a reason to do anything?

Take him to the playground, take him swimming, go for a walk or a hike in our beautiful public gardens or parks.

He doesn't need to be with his friends on Saturday mornings, he can be with his family.

[Anonymous]

If you really want him involved in an athletic organized activity at 4, enroll him in swimming lessons. The majority of 4-year-olds aren't going to get much benefit out of any other type of organized "sport".

[Anonymous]

I echo everyone else and say do not force your four year old to play soccer. It is not odd that he does not want to play but, he will get the message that you and your husband thinks he is odd. Let your four do what he wants to do or you are going to make everyone very unhappy. We are all different and some boys/girls love sports and some do not. Right now, your son does not love sports. Maybe he will go for individual sports or maybe he will be into music, art or acting. Love the child you have not the one you want.