Parents v kids: When choosing a sport, whose goals count?
We have already had three rounds of gastro for this year - three! Not to mention the other sickness that have popped up - a suspected case of hand foot and mouth, endless runny noses, a cough that didn't stop... The list goes on. That's at least...
How did you pick a sport for your child?
So far, we have put our son into swimming, Nippers and Rugby League. But are they the right sports for him?
I feel like swimming is a non-negotiable, given where we live and how much time we spend in the water.
Nippers was definitely all me. Who doesn't want to spend their summer 'having' to go to the beach every Sunday morning. We'd be there anyway. But he didn't ask to be a Nipper. After making the life decision to move close to the beach, I've always thought that the kids would involved in the surf club. He didn't hate it. He enjoyed going. But he struggled with the individual competition of it all.
Rugby League was my partner's choice. A lifetime passion that now my son shares. He absolutely loves it. Is NRL obsessed. He is so delighted to go to training and games and practises every chance he gets.
But instead of trying to push our own agenda, without trying to carve out a little mini me – should we be putting them into sports or activities that follow their own interests rather than ours? Or perhaps that will come later when they start turning into their own little person. When mum and dad aren't the centre of their world but their friends are – and then they realise who they are.
Acknowledging that sport isn't the only activity that they can do too. What about instruments? My mum forced all us kids to do piano – even though we hated it.
I wish there were facilities and services available that offered all different sports and interests – covered each week. So our kids could get a taste of it all and then make a decision. Are there already?
Tell me – how did you choose? What challenges or lessons have you come across? I'm all ears.
