No sports junior and senior year

[Anonymous]

DS has dropped cross country this fall (as a junior) and will probably drop baseball in the spring. He has excellent grades and although he enjoys sports, he now works tutoring after school instead. Also, now that he has his license, it has been a real help to me that he can pick up his younger brother and sisters from their schools.

However, I feel bad... If we had more money to give him, maybe he wouldn't have needed to drop out of his sports teams. I am afraid that not continuing with sports will hurt his chances for top colleges and merit scholarships (we have the need-based scholarships covered!).

[Anonymous]

Talk to his counselor so that they can include the reasons he dropped from sports. Helping out the family is a positive.

[Anonymous]

Not a big deal, OP. Lots of kids drop sports in their junior year. Your son could write a great essay on teaching/tutoring and helping his family. A leadership position in a club or student government would go a long way, too.

[Anonymous]

A top college advisor told our DD to drop sports since she wasn't recruitment-level, and instead focus on other activities where she could gain interesting leadership experience, such as getting involved in local government, nonprofits, etc. Everybody does sports. It doesn't distinguish your kid at all.

[Anonymous]

I think that's fine. He should put his families responsibilities o his list since it sounds like that's a daily commitment.

[Anonymous]

How much money does he need? I don't think its fair to put the siblings as his primary responsibility. You are the parents. He needs to be able to do sports if he enjoys it and a little tutoring on the side and you need to take care of your younger kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How much money does he need? I don't think its fair to put the siblings as his primary responsibility. You are the parents. He needs to be able to do sports if he enjoys it and a little tutoring on the side and you need to take care of your younger kids.

Stop trying to be provocative, PP. You're just embarrassing yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A top college advisor told our DD to drop sports since she wasn't recruitment-level, and instead focus on other activities where she could gain interesting leadership experience, such as getting involved in local government, nonprofits, etc. Everybody does sports. It doesn't distinguish your kid at all.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS has dropped cross country this fall (as a junior) and will probably drop baseball in the spring. He has excellent grades and although he enjoys sports, he now works tutoring after school instead. Also, now that he has his license, it has been a real help to me that he can pick up his younger brother and sisters from their schools.

However, I feel bad... If we had more money to give him, maybe he wouldn't have needed to drop out of his sports teams. I am afraid that not continuing with sports will hurt his chances for top colleges and merit scholarships (we have the need-based scholarships covered!).

It won't hurt him to drop sports and it may help him. If he wasn't good enough to be recruited then it won't matter at all.

[Anonymous]

Things started at the start of junior year are looked at carefully to see if they come from actual interest or if they come from pushy college advisors. Getting distinguished for things you don't actually like and won't continue in college is not a great way to gain points with college admissions.

"A top college advisor told our DD to drop sports since she wasn't recruitment-level, and instead focus on other activities where she could gain interesting leadership experience, such as getting involved in local government, nonprofits, etc. Everybody does sports. It doesn't distinguish your kid at all."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How much money does he need? I don't think its fair to put the siblings as his primary responsibility. You are the parents. He needs to be able to do sports if he enjoys it and a little tutoring on the side and you need to take care of your younger kids.

Stop trying to be provocative, PP. You're just embarrassing yourself.

How am I embarrassing myself? It is the parents job to get their kids to school, not a sibling? It is not fair to pull him out of sports and put parenting responsibilities on them. Fine for him to earn some side money but to have him drop out of activities to parent and work is extreme, especially with two working parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How much money does he need? I don't think its fair to put the siblings as his primary responsibility. You are the parents. He needs to be able to do sports if he enjoys it and a little tutoring on the side and you need to take care of your younger kids.

Stop trying to be provocative, PP. You're just embarrassing yourself.

How am I embarrassing myself? It is the parents job to get their kids to school, not a sibling? It is not fair to pull him out of sports and put parenting responsibilities on them. Fine for him to earn some side money but to have him drop out of activities to parent and work is extreme, especially with two working parents.

I agree with you, PP. My mother grew up having to care for her younger siblings and she hated it. She told me that she only had two children (my sister and me, I am the oldest) because she wanted to make sure she could afford childcare for her children and she vowed that she would never make me give up an activity to watch my sister. I didn't know all of this until I was an adult and I really appreciated that she did that for me. I am doing the same for my kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How much money does he need? I don't think its fair to put the siblings as his primary responsibility. You are the parents. He needs to be able to do sports if he enjoys it and a little tutoring on the side and you need to take care of your younger kids.

Stop trying to be provocative, PP. You're just embarrassing yourself.

How am I embarrassing myself? It is the parents job to get their kids to school, not a sibling? It is not fair to pull him out of sports and put parenting responsibilities on them. Fine for him to earn some side money but to have him drop out of activities to parent and work is extreme, especially with two working parents.

I agree with you, PP. My mother grew up having to care for her younger siblings and she hated it. She told me that she only had two children (my sister and me, I am the oldest) because she wanted to make sure she could afford childcare for her children and she vowed that she would never make me give up an activity to watch my sister. I didn't know all of this until I was an adult and I really appreciated that she did that for me. I am doing the same for my kids.

Not all families have the luxury, Ladies. All OP said was that her son drove the kids back and forth to school. Not exactly hard labor for a 16 yr old. He works after school as a tutor so he isn't watching his siblings - just driving them home.

Relax on calling the authorities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How much money does he need? I don't think its fair to put the siblings as his primary responsibility. You are the parents. He needs to be able to do sports if he enjoys it and a little tutoring on the side and you need to take care of your younger kids.

Stop trying to be provocative, PP. You're just embarrassing yourself.

How am I embarrassing myself? It is the parents job to get their kids to school, not a sibling? It is not fair to pull him out of sports and put parenting responsibilities on them. Fine for him to earn some side money but to have him drop out of activities to parent and work is extreme, especially with two working parents.

I agree with you, PP. My mother grew up having to care for her younger siblings and she hated it. She told me that she only had two children (my sister and me, I am the oldest) because she wanted to make sure she could afford childcare for her children and she vowed that she would never make me give up an activity to watch my sister. I didn't know all of this until I was an adult and I really appreciated that she did that for me. I am doing the same for my kids.

Not all families have the luxury, Ladies. All OP said was that her son drove the kids back and forth to school. Not exactly hard labor for a 16 yr old. He works after school as a tutor so he isn't watching his siblings - just driving them home.

Relax on calling the authorities.

That doesn't leave him time for sports/activities. He is probably watching the younger siblings and they cut out child care. Having 3-4 kids is a luxury.

[Anonymous]

What's wrong with the younger kids riding the school bus?