Let Your Child Do the Choosing

If you’re like most modern-day parents, then you’ve probably always taken it for granted that, when you child is old enough, he or she will play sports. Youth sports are so common in America that they are practically considered a “rite of passage” these days.   

In fact, youth sports are so common and so “in” that parents are often looked at funny if their kids don’t play ANY sports. Kids can also feel the pressure of not playing sports since it seems that EVERYBODY is doing it.

Before you sign your child up for sports, however, consider your motives. Are you just doing it because everybody else is? Are you just doing it because you want you kid to be just like you? These are not the RIGHT reasons to get your kid involved in athletics. The only reason you should really sign your child up for sports is because he or she asks you to.

If your child doesn’t express an interest in sports or anything else, then you may want to sit down and come up with a list of healthy, fun activities they could try like:

l  Auditioning for a play

l  Starting music lessons

l  Taking dance class

l  Signing up for an art class

l  Their choice of sports

Don’t pressure you child to pick any one activity. Give you child the freedom to try new things and explore!

If your kid doesn’t happen to choose sports, that's okay, and it also doesn’t mean your child will NEVER show an interest in sports. It just means that isn’t where he or she is right then.

The bottom line is that, if you want you child to be happy and to enjoy his or her childhood, let your child choose what activities to try. After all, it’s your kid’s life that will be impacted, not yours!