Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are Americans so obsessed with kids sports? I am just baffled. All these parents worried that if they don't start X sport at 5, then their kid won't have a chance of making their HS team. Really, who cares? What am I missing. Team sports are a giant pain in the ass. There are so many other activities kids could be doing that are easier to schedule. I get that it's great to be on a team and it has positive benefits etc but that applies to a rec team, or any other activity that has been sacrificed to do the team sport (an instrument, individual sport, more focus on academics, more sleep, less stress).

Competitive sports are hardly a uniquely American concept. World-wide, people are raising competitors. Look at the Russian (or sub Chinese, Japanese or Korean) figure skating programs, soccer academies, ski teams, ice hockey in Canada, etc. If you're not an athlete, then you don't get it, and you opt into whatever sports or other interests require the least amount of sacrifices.

I would be curious to know the percentage of the child population in America versus other countries that are doing highly competitive sports. Or let's be real a lot of these travel sports. Things are just a way to suck money out of parents who have overblown beliefs about their child's athletic abilities. I've heard all these funny stories about kids who did travel sports, but then weren't even good enough to make their high school team

In many Asian countries the kids are scheduled with cram schools and instrument lessons. I have friends from Singapore who talk about tutoring centers the size of shopping malls. The kids are studying far longer then the American kid playing travel sports.

Amd that's not any better. It's like ppl today forget to let kids have a childhood

You act like these kids don’t actually like what they do and of course they would rather be skipping stones.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are Americans so obsessed with kids sports? I am just baffled. All these parents worried that if they don't start X sport at 5, then their kid won't have a chance of making their HS team. Really, who cares? What am I missing. Team sports are a giant pain in the ass. There are so many other activities kids could be doing that are easier to schedule. I get that it's great to be on a team and it has positive benefits etc but that applies to a rec team, or any other activity that has been sacrificed to do the team sport (an instrument, individual sport, more focus on academics, more sleep, less stress).

Competitive sports are hardly a uniquely American concept. World-wide, people are raising competitors. Look at the Russian (or sub Chinese, Japanese or Korean) figure skating programs, soccer academies, ski teams, ice hockey in Canada, etc. If you're not an athlete, then you don't get it, and you opt into whatever sports or other interests require the least amount of sacrifices.

I would be curious to know the percentage of the child population in America versus other countries that are doing highly competitive sports. Or let's be real a lot of these travel sports. Things are just a way to suck money out of parents who have overblown beliefs about their child's athletic abilities. I've heard all these funny stories about kids who did travel sports, but then weren't even good enough to make their high school team

In many Asian countries the kids are scheduled with cram schools and instrument lessons. I have friends from Singapore who talk about tutoring centers the size of shopping malls. The kids are studying far longer then the American kid playing travel sports.

Amd that's not any better. It's like ppl today forget to let kids have a childhood

OP, you have one kid. A parent who has three kids who had one sport per kid may still feel very busy even if each kid is not necessarily that busy or overscheduled, especially after working all day. It is all relative.

I don’t think people on this thread are attacking those kids who play rec sports or don’t do much. What we are saying is to be good at anything, you need to put in the time whether it is an instrument, sport or often multiple sports. My kids all play multiple sports. They usually play one sport year round and other sports one season at a time. The main sport takes priority. We have also been on the other side. My kids played soccer most of their lives. One kid played travel. Other kid played rec. The rec kid would sometimes be short a player when kids didn’t come or weather wasn’t good.

I'm really surprised at how some posters are so seemingly angry about not playing sports. I didn't get to play sports either, but it doesn't really bother me or affect me that much. I never saw it as a big deal.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are Americans so obsessed with kids sports? I am just baffled. All these parents worried that if they don't start X sport at 5, then their kid won't have a chance of making their HS team. Really, who cares? What am I missing. Team sports are a giant pain in the ass. There are so many other activities kids could be doing that are easier to schedule. I get that it's great to be on a team and it has positive benefits etc but that applies to a rec team, or any other activity that has been sacrificed to do the team sport (an instrument, individual sport, more focus on academics, more sleep, less stress).

Competitive sports are hardly a uniquely American concept. World-wide, people are raising competitors. Look at the Russian (or sub Chinese, Japanese or Korean) figure skating programs, soccer academies, ski teams, ice hockey in Canada, etc. If you're not an athlete, then you don't get it, and you opt into whatever sports or other interests require the least amount of sacrifices.

I would be curious to know the percentage of the child population in America versus other countries that are doing highly competitive sports. Or let's be real a lot of these travel sports. Things are just a way to suck money out of parents who have overblown beliefs about their child's athletic abilities. I've heard all these funny stories about kids who did travel sports, but then weren't even good enough to make their high school team

In many Asian countries the kids are scheduled with cram schools and instrument lessons. I have friends from Singapore who talk about tutoring centers the size of shopping malls. The kids are studying far longer then the American kid playing travel sports.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are Americans so obsessed with kids sports? I am just baffled. All these parents worried that if they don't start X sport at 5, then their kid won't have a chance of making their HS team. Really, who cares? What am I missing. Team sports are a giant pain in the ass. There are so many other activities kids could be doing that are easier to schedule. I get that it's great to be on a team and it has positive benefits etc but that applies to a rec team, or any other activity that has been sacrificed to do the team sport (an instrument, individual sport, more focus on academics, more sleep, less stress).

Competitive sports are hardly a uniquely American concept. World-wide, people are raising competitors. Look at the Russian (or sub Chinese, Japanese or Korean) figure skating programs, soccer academies, ski teams, ice hockey in Canada, etc. If you're not an athlete, then you don't get it, and you opt into whatever sports or other interests require the least amount of sacrifices.

I would be curious to know the percentage of the child population in America versus other countries that are doing highly competitive sports. Or let's be real a lot of these travel sports. Things are just a way to suck money out of parents who have overblown beliefs about their child's athletic abilities. I've heard all these funny stories about kids who did travel sports, but then weren't even good enough to make their high school team

That is what kiddie travel sports are in a nutshell, and rec sports to a far lesser degree. I get a laugh out of parents who think their kid has to be in sports practice 20 hours a week to "keep them out of trouble." Their kid is going to run around town burning empty buildings and throwing rocks at cars unless a coach supervises them moving a ball around? Bizarre.

Couldn't have said it better myself actually. Sports don't guarantee anything. If your kid is going to be a trouble maker, and that's a big If, they're going to do it anyway

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are Americans so obsessed with kids sports? I am just baffled. All these parents worried that if they don't start X sport at 5, then their kid won't have a chance of making their HS team. Really, who cares? What am I missing. Team sports are a giant pain in the ass. There are so many other activities kids could be doing that are easier to schedule. I get that it's great to be on a team and it has positive benefits etc but that applies to a rec team, or any other activity that has been sacrificed to do the team sport (an instrument, individual sport, more focus on academics, more sleep, less stress).

Competitive sports are hardly a uniquely American concept. World-wide, people are raising competitors. Look at the Russian (or sub Chinese, Japanese or Korean) figure skating programs, soccer academies, ski teams, ice hockey in Canada, etc. If you're not an athlete, then you don't get it, and you opt into whatever sports or other interests require the least amount of sacrifices.

I would be curious to know the percentage of the child population in America versus other countries that are doing highly competitive sports. Or let's be real a lot of these travel sports. Things are just a way to suck money out of parents who have overblown beliefs about their child's athletic abilities. I've heard all these funny stories about kids who did travel sports, but then weren't even good enough to make their high school team

That is what kiddie travel sports are in a nutshell, and rec sports to a far lesser degree. I get a laugh out of parents who think their kid has to be in sports practice 20 hours a week to "keep them out of trouble." Their kid is going to run around town burning empty buildings and throwing rocks at cars unless a coach supervises them moving a ball around? Bizarre.

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Anonymous wrote:I don't even get OPs beef. She said kids need to be bored but also her kid has no one to play with. So, kid is probably bored. Isn't this what OP wanted?

No, ops can probably can entertain themselves and handle boredom, but it's always better and more fun for kids to have other kids around.

Great things happen when bored teenagers get together.

Once again, not all teenagers do thos things. They ate capable of just being kids and have fun. I'm sorry for kids who aren't.

Are you sorry for the ones sitting at home bored who start chatting with strangers on Discord? https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1192713.page

Sitting around chatting with strangers on discord I'd not a great idea or something that I'd allow.

How about Roblox? The linked article describes how perpetrators have groomed kids as young as 8 years old whom they met in Roblox chatrooms. https://wapo.st/4cb7bi9

These online games make me nervous. So far my kids haven't asked and don't have an interest. Not sure how I'd handle if they did.

Now imagine your kid is in middle school enjoying free time at the playground with other kids whose phones have full access to discord or snap or Roblox. Now your permission is not needed because it’s not your phone.

MS is too old for playgrounds.

No they're not, unless it's a little kiddie one for like toddlers or something

Yes it is. 13 year olds aren't hanging out at the local playground. You live in some kind of fantasyland.

No, I don't live in a fantasy world. I know what my friends and I did. Also I think it's funny that a 13 year is somehow too old for kid stuff, but it's totally fine for them to have free access to the internet and social media. Them adults will complain that they're acting too old and growing up to fast.

You may give your kids free access to internet and social media, but many of us don't. Mine didn't have social media till 14 and it's heavily monitored. And, most 13 year olds don't want to hang out at the playground and only do it as they aren't welcome in their home or they are really bored. That is for elementary school.

I don't give free internet access at all. I guess 13 year are far different than I was

Maybe that's it. You are a sample size of one former 13 year old, of a different generation. Time has moved on and so should you.

So as an extremely young teen, 13 you only did organized activities. You never went outside with friends just for fun? You didn't ride bikes or play basketball? No night games, like capture the flag?

No, the opposite. My mom was too lazy and sat around smoking watching tv or gossiping with her friends not caring what I was doing at 13. Likely just riding my bike to my friends houses so we could do nothing together. I want better for my kids.

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Anonymous wrote:I don't even get OPs beef. She said kids need to be bored but also her kid has no one to play with. So, kid is probably bored. Isn't this what OP wanted?

No, ops can probably can entertain themselves and handle boredom, but it's always better and more fun for kids to have other kids around.

Great things happen when bored teenagers get together.

Once again, not all teenagers do thos things. They ate capable of just being kids and have fun. I'm sorry for kids who aren't.

Are you sorry for the ones sitting at home bored who start chatting with strangers on Discord? https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1192713.page

Sitting around chatting with strangers on discord I'd not a great idea or something that I'd allow.

How about Roblox? The linked article describes how perpetrators have groomed kids as young as 8 years old whom they met in Roblox chatrooms. https://wapo.st/4cb7bi9

These online games make me nervous. So far my kids haven't asked and don't have an interest. Not sure how I'd handle if they did.

Now imagine your kid is in middle school enjoying free time at the playground with other kids whose phones have full access to discord or snap or Roblox. Now your permission is not needed because it’s not your phone.

MS is too old for playgrounds.

No they're not, unless it's a little kiddie one for like toddlers or something

Yes it is. 13 year olds aren't hanging out at the local playground. You live in some kind of fantasyland.

No, I don't live in a fantasy world. I know what my friends and I did. Also I think it's funny that a 13 year is somehow too old for kid stuff, but it's totally fine for them to have free access to the internet and social media. Them adults will complain that they're acting too old and growing up to fast.

You may give your kids free access to internet and social media, but many of us don't. Mine didn't have social media till 14 and it's heavily monitored. And, most 13 year olds don't want to hang out at the playground and only do it as they aren't welcome in their home or they are really bored. That is for elementary school.

I don't give free internet access at all. I guess 13 year are far different than I was

Maybe that's it. You are a sample size of one former 13 year old, of a different generation. Time has moved on and so should you.

I have moved on. But, me wanting my kid to be a kid and act like a kid isn't a bad thing. There is plenty of time later to grow up and be a teen and then an adult. No need to do it so fast.

.

Who is standing in your way here?

Your big ass

Nah that's the couch potatoes and their lazy kids, they can't keep up and are complaining about it.

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I partly blame the culture around here -it’s hard to do any sports in a chill way regardless of age. If your kid wants to swim, they are either only swimming in the summer or they are swimming at least 3 days a week year round. And if you don’t start early enough you are “behind” so everyone wants to let their kids try a couple things out.

My oldest asks to do activities because that’s where her friends are. They aren’t available if she goes and knocks on their door. We allow less than a lot of families (my daughter is really only doing dance and Girl Scouts my son is only doing soccer and we will see if it bites us in the a*s later). It’s a balance

Why not let them do the activities they want to?

PP you are responding to and I do let them do some of the activities that they want to do. But they have to pick because I’m not willing to spend all evening every evening driving both kids around and dragging the little guys because he can’t stay home alone. I also see worse behavior when they are too busy. So one of my kids is mildly interested in swimming but I’m not willing to add 3 nights a week or something. But they get to do what they are most excited about.

Sorry you’re too selfish to put your kids interests ahead of your own inability to manage your schedule. My kid likes swimming so DH and I take him 3 days a week at 6 am so he can still fit in other sports and activities. My kids also do a travel sport that involves driving to another state every weekend for 3 months out of the year.

i

And yet these bums won’t even play high school

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I partly blame the culture around here -it’s hard to do any sports in a chill way regardless of age. If your kid wants to swim, they are either only swimming in the summer or they are swimming at least 3 days a week year round. And if you don’t start early enough you are “behind” so everyone wants to let their kids try a couple things out.

My oldest asks to do activities because that’s where her friends are. They aren’t available if she goes and knocks on their door. We allow less than a lot of families (my daughter is really only doing dance and Girl Scouts my son is only doing soccer and we will see if it bites us in the a*s later). It’s a balance

Why not let them do the activities they want to?

PP you are responding to and I do let them do some of the activities that they want to do. But they have to pick because I’m not willing to spend all evening every evening driving both kids around and dragging the little guys because he can’t stay home alone. I also see worse behavior when they are too busy. So one of my kids is mildly interested in swimming but I’m not willing to add 3 nights a week or something. But they get to do what they are most excited about.

Sorry you’re too selfish to put your kids interests ahead of your own inability to manage your schedule. My kid likes swimming so DH and I take him 3 days a week at 6 am so he can still fit in other sports and activities. My kids also do a travel sport that involves driving to another state every weekend for 3 months out of the year.

We get it, parents whose lives revolve around kid sports are batsh*t.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I partly blame the culture around here -it’s hard to do any sports in a chill way regardless of age. If your kid wants to swim, they are either only swimming in the summer or they are swimming at least 3 days a week year round. And if you don’t start early enough you are “behind” so everyone wants to let their kids try a couple things out.

My oldest asks to do activities because that’s where her friends are. They aren’t available if she goes and knocks on their door. We allow less than a lot of families (my daughter is really only doing dance and Girl Scouts my son is only doing soccer and we will see if it bites us in the a*s later). It’s a balance

Why not let them do the activities they want to?

PP you are responding to and I do let them do some of the activities that they want to do. But they have to pick because I’m not willing to spend all evening every evening driving both kids around and dragging the little guys because he can’t stay home alone. I also see worse behavior when they are too busy. So one of my kids is mildly interested in swimming but I’m not willing to add 3 nights a week or something. But they get to do what they are most excited about.

Sorry you’re too selfish to put your kids interests ahead of your own inability to manage your schedule. My kid likes swimming so DH and I take him 3 days a week at 6 am so he can still fit in other sports and activities. My kids also do a travel sport that involves driving to another state every weekend for 3 months out of the year.

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Anonymous wrote:I don't even get OPs beef. She said kids need to be bored but also her kid has no one to play with. So, kid is probably bored. Isn't this what OP wanted?

No, ops can probably can entertain themselves and handle boredom, but it's always better and more fun for kids to have other kids around.

Great things happen when bored teenagers get together.

Once again, not all teenagers do thos things. They ate capable of just being kids and have fun. I'm sorry for kids who aren't.

Are you sorry for the ones sitting at home bored who start chatting with strangers on Discord? https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1192713.page

Sitting around chatting with strangers on discord I'd not a great idea or something that I'd allow.

How about Roblox? The linked article describes how perpetrators have groomed kids as young as 8 years old whom they met in Roblox chatrooms. https://wapo.st/4cb7bi9

These online games make me nervous. So far my kids haven't asked and don't have an interest. Not sure how I'd handle if they did.

Now imagine your kid is in middle school enjoying free time at the playground with other kids whose phones have full access to discord or snap or Roblox. Now your permission is not needed because it’s not your phone.

MS is too old for playgrounds.

No they're not, unless it's a little kiddie one for like toddlers or something

Yes it is. 13 year olds aren't hanging out at the local playground. You live in some kind of fantasyland.

No, I don't live in a fantasy world. I know what my friends and I did. Also I think it's funny that a 13 year is somehow too old for kid stuff, but it's totally fine for them to have free access to the internet and social media. Them adults will complain that they're acting too old and growing up to fast.

You may give your kids free access to internet and social media, but many of us don't. Mine didn't have social media till 14 and it's heavily monitored. And, most 13 year olds don't want to hang out at the playground and only do it as they aren't welcome in their home or they are really bored. That is for elementary school.

I don't give free internet access at all. I guess 13 year are far different than I was

Maybe that's it. You are a sample size of one former 13 year old, of a different generation. Time has moved on and so should you.

So as an extremely young teen, 13 you only did organized activities. You never went outside with friends just for fun? You didn't ride bikes or play basketball? No night games, like capture the flag?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are Americans so obsessed with kids sports? I am just baffled. All these parents worried that if they don't start X sport at 5, then their kid won't have a chance of making their HS team. Really, who cares? What am I missing. Team sports are a giant pain in the ass. There are so many other activities kids could be doing that are easier to schedule. I get that it's great to be on a team and it has positive benefits etc but that applies to a rec team, or any other activity that has been sacrificed to do the team sport (an instrument, individual sport, more focus on academics, more sleep, less stress).

Competitive sports are hardly a uniquely American concept. World-wide, people are raising competitors. Look at the Russian (or sub Chinese, Japanese or Korean) figure skating programs, soccer academies, ski teams, ice hockey in Canada, etc. If you're not an athlete, then you don't get it, and you opt into whatever sports or other interests require the least amount of sacrifices.

I would be curious to know the percentage of the child population in America versus other countries that are doing highly competitive sports. Or let's be real a lot of these travel sports. Things are just a way to suck money out of parents who have overblown beliefs about their child's athletic abilities. I've heard all these funny stories about kids who did travel sports, but then weren't even good enough to make their high school team

I think that it's definitely more of an American thing. I think it's a money grab for these teams and it's for the parents themselves more than the kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are Americans so obsessed with kids sports? I am just baffled. All these parents worried that if they don't start X sport at 5, then their kid won't have a chance of making their HS team. Really, who cares? What am I missing. Team sports are a giant pain in the ass. There are so many other activities kids could be doing that are easier to schedule. I get that it's great to be on a team and it has positive benefits etc but that applies to a rec team, or any other activity that has been sacrificed to do the team sport (an instrument, individual sport, more focus on academics, more sleep, less stress).

Competitive sports are hardly a uniquely American concept. World-wide, people are raising competitors. Look at the Russian (or sub Chinese, Japanese or Korean) figure skating programs, soccer academies, ski teams, ice hockey in Canada, etc. If you're not an athlete, then you don't get it, and you opt into whatever sports or other interests require the least amount of sacrifices.

I would be curious to know the percentage of the child population in America versus other countries that are doing highly competitive sports. Or let's be real a lot of these travel sports. Things are just a way to suck money out of parents who have overblown beliefs about their child's athletic abilities. I've heard all these funny stories about kids who did travel sports, but then weren't even good enough to make their high school team