to leave my non-sporty daughter to it?!

[tryhard]

She's 5. I think she's v active- she scoots the school run, we go swimming once a week, we have a trampoline in the garden which she's always on...but...as she gets older she appears to hate sport. Tried ballet, hated the structure, tried gymnastics, said it's fun & earned some badges but said it'stoo hard, frightened of falling off her bike, thinks football is for boys 😪 DH is super-sporty but I'm a real indoors type, though I do swim every week. Should I keep pushing the organised sports or leave her to it & accept she might be a bit of a bookworm like me?!

[yeOldeTrout]

We found out DD was sporty when she was 9yo. Very suddenly. No real signs of it whatsoever before that.

Would have been fine if she wasn't, too.

[Benedikte2]

There is plenty of healthy activity available outside of sport. Walk whenever possible and maybe organise days out to places where a lot of walking is mandatory such as the zoo etc. Pick places that interest you so that you can share your general knowledge and she can develop her own interests. Are there family tramping groups near you? Take a photo she can take to school to share instead of a certificate.
There is a sports gene (inherited) and those who aren't "blessed" with it will never excel at sports. I come from a family with no interest whatsoever in organised sport for 3 generations on both sides so there's been fretting over the need to compete with classmates etc. Your DD sounds as if she's sensitive and is anxious about falling or being outside her comfort zone so just let her choose her own pace. Maybe she'll fall in love with a sport or maybe she'll take happily after yourself and be more interested in people, social activities etc
Good luck

[Kiroro]

Don't 'push' sports but just let her see an active lifestyle is normal. Walks in the woods. Run around in the park. Bike round a lake. Go swimming. Play games. Have fun.

[BoomBoomsCousin]

I think lots of kids are too young at 5 to enjoy organized sport. I was V. sporty at school - sports captain etc. - but I didn't do any organized sport until I was at least 8. The things people can get out of sport are fitness, ability to tackle a challenge, team work, and resilience. There are many ways to develop these traits. So even if she doesn't develop a taste for some sport later, it's not a loss. It'll just give her time for other things instead.

[IWillOnlyEatBeans]

My 7 yr old DS is the only boy in his class that doesn't play in the local football team! He couldn't be less interested.

We go on lots of walks and bike rides and to trampoline parks and on l-o-n-g Pokemon hunts. He goes to swimming lessons once a week and Beavers.

He might change his mind about team sports. If so - great. If not - we'll carry on following his interests and making sure he gets to try lots of different things.

I would never dream of pushing him into football or rugby or whatever. There'd be no point if he wasn't enjoying it.

[arethereanyleftatall]

I really wish I'd saved my money when my dc were that age, and did no activities. Makes no difference to anything except bank balance. Dd8 now wants to do everything.

[Ginkypig]

For me team sports competitive sport can fuck right off!

I like sports and being active (before I became disabled) I never cared about winning just liked doing the activity itself.

I liked long distance running
Swimming
Touch rugby
Badminton
Cycling
High jump
And more too

Some of these I naturally did well so "won" some I did ok at but would never have excelled at, I didn't care I just liked them

[Ginkypig]

Oh football too

[Andrewofgg]

Sensible child. Cherish her!

[APlaceOnTheCouch]

Why does trampoline link to amazon in your op? Is this a new automatic ad function from MN?

As for your DD, as everyone else has said, don't be too quick to label her. I had pangs for DS when everyone else was bringing in certificates and he wasn't but it didn't seem to bother him.

Now, at 9, he's developed his own interests and found his own sporting niche. He still does less classes than everyone else but tbh I think DCs need to have some down time.

[EssentialHummus]

s this a new automatic ad function from MN?

Yup, skim links. It's a thing now.

[Allthewaves]

Mine only do swimming lessons. Everything else is out playing on bikes, scooting, play park etc. Isn't it just about being active for an hour a day?

[stuckinthehouse]

To give some context, she's the only girl in a class of 33 who isn't doing an organised sports club after school or at the weekends, most do at least 1, some do 3.

How do you even know this stuff?
I wouldn't have a clue what other people's children do after school. Couldn't care less.

[APlaceOnTheCouch]

Thanks Essential I just found the thread in Site Stuff and vented. I've been on the mobile site so had thankfully missed this development. (and obviously the link to A**zon in my post was added by skim links too )

[iklboo]

DS wasn't sporty at 5. By 11 he's doing rugby, karate, parkour and cubs / scouts and goes to the gym with DH. There's plenty of time for her to find her thing. Try not to worry

[omnishamblesssssssssssssss]

Blimey she's only 5!! Why push her into organised sports now and why give up the idea of future organised sports?! Does it matter what other children are doing?

Why don't you both become more active together? Cycling, extra long walks together. Adventures with a picnic on route.