Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

One lazy child, active siblings

251 replies

dontgoaskingme · 05/03/2025 18:20

8 year old DS, 10 and 13 year old DD’s

Oldest and youngest are both very active and sociable, doing at least 10 different hobbies/extra curricular activities each and will happily try and take on anything new.

Middle DD isn’t sporty and is quieter,
when not at school will happily spend all time at home just relaxing or watching TV. Isn’t really interested in playing in the garden or going out for activities.
She’s just dropped swimming lessons so is now only having music lessons at school and language lessons at home with a family friend.
Any suggestion of trying something else and she just says she can’t be bothered, has tried a couple of things in the past but only lasted a couple of weeks/months before giving up.

Other DC obviously get a lot of money spent on their activities, they also get a lot of extra time and attention from them.

I think I wouldn’t worry about it so much if her siblings weren’t so busy but I feel I’m doing her a massive disservice by not making her do the same as them and worry that she will grow up with less skills and confidence than her siblings and wish we’d pushed her to do more.

Would it be unreasonable to insist she does more? At least tried 2-3 other activities and for a minimum of 6 months each?

OP posts:
NotTheDebtDoctorWithTheHungryScalpel · 05/03/2025 18:25

Ywbu to try and make her do any more than she is, a language and an instrument on top of school is already a lot.

Make sure she knows the option is there, but don't try and force her or compare her to her siblings.

I have one very sporty dd who does 5 different sports and is looking at a 6th, my other dd plays piano and that's enough for her. They are different kids and that's absolutely fine.