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So my kids are slowly dropping out of Their Sport. Since everyone specialized so early on, it's kind of sad. They don't want to completely drop out, but they don't want to completely commit either.
Dd15 started it all when she quit quit swimming. She just didn't want to do it anymore, was super busy with music (she plays trombone, and practices a lot), and just wanted to have enough time to study. Plus swimming was frustrating for her. She plateaued at about age 13, so it was just very hard for her to go to meets and not improve.
Ds15 is just not that into it. His ideal is to probably hang around with the guys all day, but he is claiming that he really wants to focus on his music (clarinet, sax) as well. Both he and his twin sister signed up for after-school band groups (symphonic orchestra, jazz) and each are taking 2 classes of band each day (small group ensembles, and wind ensemble). Swim practice eats into music practice time, not to mention homework (when Ds15 deigns to do his homework. Grrrrr.) He's just not "passionate" about swimming, and looks for excuses to not go to swim practice now, unless he has absolutely nothing else going on. (The team is very lax, so if they make 3-4 practices a week, that's ok. But, 3-4 practices a week is basically nothing for this age group, where 7-9 is the norm.)
Ds13 is a mini-me of Ds15. Where Ds15 goes, Ds13 follows. His ideal would be to stay home and play his DS (video game) all day long, but since that's not really an option, he'll go to swim practice if Ds15 goes.
Dd8 has been swimming but she's grown out of the program she was swimming in (sort of more learn-to-swim) and has very little interest in swim meets, so I don't really want to register her on Big Team... We are in the middle.
I'm SICK of the constant battle with the boys about practice though. When I tell them to either commit or quit, Ds15 says he doesn't want to quit. So Ds13 says he doesn't want to quit either. My afternoons are held hostage waiting for whatever excuses they are going to come up with. It's exhausting.
Ds15 is going into his Junior Year of High School. I think it makes sense for him to finish out this year swimming, then quit. But I know Ds13 will quit too, and that boy is going to drive me insane wanting to play video games and having zero social interaction. (Swimming is the ONLY place where he talks to other people. He's the shyest kid ever.)
But for various reasons I'm so done with the team here, also.
I think we are all just burned out... It's sad.
Is it silly to think that they'll all get hopelessly out of shape if they stop swimming altogether? I really have no comparison- so used to the kids all swimming at least 1 hour a day...
Dd15 started it all when she quit quit swimming. She just didn't want to do it anymore, was super busy with music (she plays trombone, and practices a lot), and just wanted to have enough time to study. Plus swimming was frustrating for her. She plateaued at about age 13, so it was just very hard for her to go to meets and not improve.
Ds15 is just not that into it. His ideal is to probably hang around with the guys all day, but he is claiming that he really wants to focus on his music (clarinet, sax) as well. Both he and his twin sister signed up for after-school band groups (symphonic orchestra, jazz) and each are taking 2 classes of band each day (small group ensembles, and wind ensemble). Swim practice eats into music practice time, not to mention homework (when Ds15 deigns to do his homework. Grrrrr.) He's just not "passionate" about swimming, and looks for excuses to not go to swim practice now, unless he has absolutely nothing else going on. (The team is very lax, so if they make 3-4 practices a week, that's ok. But, 3-4 practices a week is basically nothing for this age group, where 7-9 is the norm.)
Ds13 is a mini-me of Ds15. Where Ds15 goes, Ds13 follows. His ideal would be to stay home and play his DS (video game) all day long, but since that's not really an option, he'll go to swim practice if Ds15 goes.
Dd8 has been swimming but she's grown out of the program she was swimming in (sort of more learn-to-swim) and has very little interest in swim meets, so I don't really want to register her on Big Team... We are in the middle.
I'm SICK of the constant battle with the boys about practice though. When I tell them to either commit or quit, Ds15 says he doesn't want to quit. So Ds13 says he doesn't want to quit either. My afternoons are held hostage waiting for whatever excuses they are going to come up with. It's exhausting.
Ds15 is going into his Junior Year of High School. I think it makes sense for him to finish out this year swimming, then quit. But I know Ds13 will quit too, and that boy is going to drive me insane wanting to play video games and having zero social interaction. (Swimming is the ONLY place where he talks to other people. He's the shyest kid ever.)
But for various reasons I'm so done with the team here, also.
I think we are all just burned out... It's sad.
Is it silly to think that they'll all get hopelessly out of shape if they stop swimming altogether? I really have no comparison- so used to the kids all swimming at least 1 hour a day...
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