The kids HATE soccer!

I'm not sure how to handle this. My youngest (age 3 1/2) loves soccer..and calls himself King Soccer....but my two oldest hate it and refuse to go or whine and carry on...last week there was no soccer because of the July 4th holiday..and I let them skip it on Monday.....but I insisted that they would go today...and when they found out they had soccer, they whined and carried on, so we didn't go...and I'm left feeling badly about it...like I should have pushed the issue??? I'm not sure what to do about this. Last time, Andrew took his Harry Potter book and read it instead of playing, and Finny stood there with her dress over her head (she had come from summer school).

any ideas?

Kris
"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be."

Douglas Adams

I may stick my foot in my mouth ... I do that often ... but I will take a stab at this as I have had LOTS of experience with soccer. I guess the first thing I would ask you is if they wanted to play soccer in the first place or if it was mostly your idea for them to play. When my five-year old decided he didn't like soccer any more and only wanted to go to the playground, we had a long talk (actually several talks!) about his commitment. He had wanted to play soccer (I'm sure because his older brothers were playing) but it was his decision. I told him that he made a commitment to play and that we needed to follow through with that. I then prayed like crazy that he would start playing instead of going grumpily. It didn't work so well when he was only four and we didn't push it. When he was five, this tactic worked and he played all season. We didn't put him in again though because his heart really wasn't in it. If he bugs me and really wants to, then we will try it again but it has to be his decision with the understanding that he doesn't quit. That is just me though.

It is a hard thing because you want it to be a good experience for them. If Andrew is reading Harry Potter though instead of playing... he obviously doesn't like soccer! It is supposed to be fun to play. If he never REALLY wanted to play, I would let him quit. If he wanted to then I would tell him to stick with it. It is hard for the younger kids to keep their attention on playing for long. Finny with her dress over her head reminded me of Zachary when he was five and doing cartwheels down the field. This is definitely a dilemma.... sigh.... Good Luck and let me know how it works out.

Robin

Truth be told, I signed them up...I thought it would be fun for them and it was super cheap!!! It only cost us $20 for the summer, and that included a t-shirt. Also, Thomas and I are soccer fanatics.......

Andrew is mad at me.."why didn't you ask me before signing me up" and Finny just plain doesn't want to go...and if she is just going to be standing around picking flowers or sitting on the ground while everyone plays then I don't see any reason to get them all togther and take the trek out there. They are still so young...that is seems dumb to force them to do this.....At the same time though, I feel like I did when I cut classes in college...guilty...thought I don't know why.

I don't want them to learn to be quitters, but at the same time, I don't think that I should force them to do something that they didn't want and don't enjoy...I truly don't know what to do.

Kris
"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be."

Douglas Adams

[DCJenn]

Kris-

If they don't want to do it- they will really resent participating (which it seems they already do). Let the youngest one play and allow the other two to develop interests of their own. Making them play isn't the answer- it'll make them and you miserable. Why create trauma whn you don't have to. It doesn't make them quitters because it wasn't their idea! See what kind of sports interests they have (if any). What about Girl Scouts/Brownies or Boy Scouts. That will expose them to all kinds of things that might spark an interest. Some kids just don't like organized sports. Maybe Andrew would prefer a sport that isn't a team sport. Didn't Finny like gymnastics when you guys were in Florida?

Whatever you do - I think forcing them in to participating might make them not like sports in general and you don't want that!!

Good Luck!

Jenn

[Meenah]

I agree with Jenn.
Luanne

Well, thank you all for giving me permission not to take them anymore. After a long talk with them, they both told me that they would have much rathered take swimming lessons...I've learned a valuable lesson about listening to my children or asking them what they want............................


Thanks for listening to me.

Kris
"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be."

Douglas Adams