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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To cancel DS football lessons

62 replies

eyesbiggerthanstomach · 23/01/2022 13:27

My almost 4 year old DS attends Little Kickers on a Sunday. He enjoys the racing and warm up but hates the actual football parts! He started to enjoy it slightly but was moved up a class where they are more able and he keeps telling me he isn’t any good and doesn’t want to go and I have to hold his hand throughout.

I’m getting fed up of making the effort to go when he has no interested but I don’t want to send a message that giving up is acceptable.

I had hoped at the class they would teach him how to dribble etc but they give general guidance and I can tell the kids are practicing at home and have skills my DS doesn’t.

I live with him alone and can’t kick a ball to save my life.

If I let him quit, I also worry that he will never learn how to play football especially as I say, we don’t play at home. This could apply to any sport he tries as I don’t play tennis, cricket or rugby and I would like him to try them all.

AIBU to call it a day for now?

OP posts:

Popcornriver · 24/01/2022 10:22

I let mine try lots and if they don't like it, they don't like it. I don't see it as letting them give up. I want them to enjoy going and would worry about putting them off sport if they had to do it when they weren't enjoying it.

00100001 · 24/01/2022 10:22

@tttigress

Maybe you could watch some YouTube videos and train him a bit at home?

...train....a THREE YEAR OLD to play a non essential sport that he isn't enjoying??

batshit

campion · 24/01/2022 10:22

@FredBair

He is FAR too young for this kind of thing. Just take a ball to the park and re-think when he's 7 if he is interested.

This. You're probably putting him off football for life.

He doesn't need organised activities at 3 years old - he's not physically, mentally or socially ready. He'll grow up soon enough so just go and have some fun with him!

Monkeybutt1 · 24/01/2022 10:23

@eyesbiggerthanstomach

I’m getting fed up of making the effort to go when he has no interested but I don’t want to send a message that giving up is acceptable.

I had hoped at the class they would teach him how to dribble etc but they give general guidance and I can tell the kids are practicing at home and have skills my DS doesn’t.

I live with him alone and can’t kick a ball to save my life.

AIBU to call it a day for now?

My son went through the same, so he stopped going. Then when he was 5 he started having an interest in football so we took him to the local team, he now plays for under 9's and is one of the top goal scorers so I wouldn't worry. They can pick sport back up when they are older.

MsSquiz · 24/01/2022 10:30

He's 3. He's tried it and has decided he's not keen on it, I'd say that's fair enough. It doesn't mean he will never kick a ball ever again!
Maybe he'd prefer gymnastics or rugby? See if you can find taster classes before signing him up to a term of anything to see what he enjoys.
At 3, you are teaching him that giving up is acceptable, but in the way of there are things he doesn't have to stick to if he doesn't like them. It's a toddler football session, not school.

Plumbear2 · 24/01/2022 10:46

Let him stop if he doesn't enjoy it. At 3 he should be doing activities for enjoyment. My son did toddler football, gave it up as he didn't enjoy it. Took part in other sports and activities over the years and stopped when he stopped enjoying it. He didn't find his true passion untill he was 10 which is not sports related and at 14 he is just as passionate and is planning a career in that. What a child does or doesn't do at 3 has no bearing on later life and not playing football did not affect the friends he made at school

EffYou · 24/01/2022 10:51

My DS has tried so many clubs. He's fifteen now and has been in the army cadets for three years and loves it, but before that we had football, basketball, volleyball, Cubs and scouts, martial arts, swimming, piano, guitar ..... cadets is the only one that's stuck. There's no way I'm spending money for my child to miserable and they'll never know if they like something if they don't try it.

GrandRapids · 24/01/2022 10:57

I think kids start activities and clubs so early these days compared to when we did. I excelled at sport, but I was probably 10 yrs old before I really got into it.

I'd say stop, it's supposed to be fun.

Shelby1981 · 24/01/2022 11:04

Our 5 year old son was like this. He kept saying he liked football but I could just tell he really didn't. Finally he admitted that he just thought he should go cos all his friends did. We had lots of chats about how everyone likes and is good at different things and boys don't have to like football. He now does gymnastics and kickboxing and loves both. Team sports just aren't for him, at the moment, and that's ok.

thesugarbumfairy · 24/01/2022 11:12

He is 3. He really doesn't need to do any activities. Because he's 3. If he shows an interest in something at some point, let him try that instead.

Bunnycat101 · 24/01/2022 11:24

At that age it should be fun with no expectation of practice. If he’s struggling and in a particularly competitive class he might be better doing some sort of toddler multi sports or gymnastics. I think activities are important and help with school readiness but they’ve got to be fun at that age. He shouldn’t be feeling pressure.

poppet131 · 18/02/2023 11:35

@eyesbiggerthanstomach Did you end up taking your DS out of LK classes? And is he better with extra curricular clubs and classes now? X

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