DD (9 yrs) , does ballet twice a week and tennis once a week. (Tennis is just across the road and only 40 mins so very hassle-free.)
She goes through phases of loving ballet, then phases of being v. reluctant to go. Atm she is going through a very tedious refusenik stage (although we make her go of course because we're paid up until Easter). We've told her that she can't suddenly decide to give up on a freezing Monday night because she's tired and has maths hwk. The decision has to be considered carefully at end of term, when she has a more balanced perspective etc.
Also, last year, after she went through a similar phase she suddenly became very enthusiastic and absolutely loved it again. We've explained that it's normal to have ups and downs and anything worth doing has its challenges.
She did piano prior to this and the same thing happened - in the end we let her give up (although she now wants to learn the violin). She's started and stopped other activities too (although I know it's good at this age to explore lots of different things) but she has a tendency in general to give up easily, particularly when she finds something hard.
She is an only child so I don't have a lot of experience with this sort of thing. Would love to know if other parents have the same hassles? If so, how do you handle it? How insistent are you that they continue activities once they have signed up for them etc etc?
And in general, how do you encourage your child to persist at something when they hit a glitch?
Would love to 'hear' advice/tips from other more experienced mothers please.
(Her schooling is quite pressured btw - normal in country where we live.)
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How much whinging is normal prior to extra-curricular activities? When do you force them to go and when do you allow them to give up?
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superfluouscurves · 14/01/2013 16:15
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