To not make her go to dance camp

[partypingu]

DD is 5 and refusing to go to dance / drama day camp.

I feel completely miserable, it's the only summer activity I've planned for her (apart from a trip to the seaside last week). Apart from the wasted money I am upset that's she's just hanging about doing nothing.

She doesn't want to see her friends, or go to the park, just to play at home / watch TV.

I know rationally that's she's only 5 and probably just needs to chill out at home but honestly it's been 3 weeks since school ended and there's another 3 weeks to go and should I let her just hang about at home the whole time? I'm limiting TV and we are going swimming every day but other than that she's doing absolutely nothing.

Her behaviour otherwise is excellent but I'm worried about her refusal to engage with anything / anyone.

I know I could force her to go but it feels wrong to make a 5 year old do a day long activity if they don't want to. Of course she would probably love it if she did go.

Can anyone talk some sense into me? If you are a more experienced parent can you tell me if any of this matters? I've lost perspective.

Send her for the first day, stay with her a while if you need to and see how she is afterwards. Young children sometimes get a bit stubborn and will just refuse for no reason. My son was similar when I sent him to rugby camp last week but I took him everyday and he loved it!

Wow.

5 year olds have spent so much of their lives in Covid induced isolation that these situations are difficult and can be worrying for them. What is the harm in pottering about at home? If her behaviour is good and you are swimming daily so she's getting out of the house, then what's the harm? Would you make yourself do something you really didn't feel like doing and maybe felt anxious about just because you'd paid for it?

Let her decide if she doesn't want to go. Give her the control over her own life when you are able to. At 5, and with 2 years of Covid in there too, she's still so little.

Why haven’t you planned anything for the summer? Swimming every day and nothing else sounds boring as hell.

Goodness gracious she’s only 5! When I first
Started reading this I thought I was reading about a teenager!
Let her hang around and do nothing why is that an issue I would be concerned if it was a teenager but shes still
only so little. You are a lovely mum planning all of that but at that age they really don’t need to do much