DM disapproves of DS starting running as a hobby

[Pompomdaisies]

My DS is 7 and we’ve recently taken him to a couple of local races, junior park runs and a local community 2k, in that particular race he came 11th out of 75 juniors, the children who beat him were all older.
He really seems to enjoy it and does appear to have a talent for it.
His dad, my DP is a fell runner.
There is a junior fell running club on once a week locally and I mentioned to my DM that we’re thinking of taking him, she wasn’t keen on the previous races either.
She thinks it’s detrimental to his developing bones and that it may cause problems long term. She thinks we are pushing him into it (which we’re not - we wouldn’t entertain the idea unless he enjoyed it). She also didn’t like the photo I sent her of DS after his race, as he was bright red in the face and looked done in. All the kids looked similar. She said she’s worried it’s too much for him.

Honestly he runs everywhere, he’s a very active child and already does swimming & martial arts every week. He’s one of those kids who needs a lot of physical stimulation.

You can allow someone their disapproval. You don’t need to act on it. It doesn’t need to concern you. Well done for bringing up a happy, active child.

Ps we have a very active child and constantly check in that he’s happy to do the amount that he does. But we don’t have anyone disapproving…

She’s nuts

I mean I trust you will make sure he doesn’t over do things

but bones build stronger for the stress of running

and 2-5km is fine for his age

the world os nuts about what normal exercise looks like

I don't think I've ever used the 'first post nails it' on here but this time it really did. There's no better answer.

That’s made my day!

So there’s not an issue for his developing bones? She’s made me second guess myself a bit.

Well she can disapprove all she wants, but its your kid and she doesnt get a say.

I have a 16 year old runner - he started about that age. He now runs for the county and it’s been a huge part of his life. It’s kept him fit and healthy, away from screens, booze and vapes. It will form a part of his UCAS application. There are far worse hobbies he could have!

Print and frame this little bit of daily magic, and hang on a nearby wall, point to it when necessary:

Definitely no issue. Kids these days are at more risk of laziness than being too active. Crack on.

No issue for his bones as long as he sticks at around 2km max, ideally on grass or softer surfaces and he needs proper, running trainers (as opposed to fashion trainers).

She is not his mother - you are. You know your child better than anyone else, so it's down to you and she needs to respect that. Your DS has found a healthy, inclusive and widely beneficial hobby that he likes, and it's something he and his dad can enjoy together. No-one will be more alive than you are to any causes for concerns.

As @ilparadodosdoltos says, she may disapprove, but it is literally none of her business. You don't mention the general dynamic between you and your DM, but I'd be on the alert for "well-meaning" criticism of anything she finds "unacceptable" as your DS grows older. I had a hyper-critical commentator in my childhood who didn't hesitate in making their views clear about what I "should" be doing and how "disappointing" I was. It was horrible, and I wish someone had stood up for me.

I hope your DS has many happy times running ahead of him. Best wishes to you. x

Google it rather than taking advice of strangers on the net, but some running is no problem, he doesn't want to be doing marathons yet, but junior parkrun and something else each week will do way more harm than good.

Watch your child
don’t let him run is he has niggles - listen to the body
encourage him to back off during growth spurts
have rest days
mix up the exercise

and let him crack on

Imagine disapproving of a child running 😂 before we gave them al screens, they ran. A lot. Has she forgotten? We ran and played until we were sweaty and red in the face and happy. That's what kids do, and should do.

None of her business, is it?

A 2k run for a 7-year-old is fine. I think. He could probably do two or three of those a week. Given that he also swims and does martial arts, he's mixing it up a bit and not just doing one type of repetitive exercise all the time.

I agree with the PP who said he definitely needs decent running trainers, but if you and/or his dad are into running you'll already know about all that stuff, I'm sure.

There's a spectrum isn't there - as with all physical activities. No activity at all, terrible for a developing child's body. Running marathons every week or going all out to lift heavy weights like an adult body builder or doing six hours of intensive gymnastic training every day, also not good. If your running club takes children then they should be clued up on what a safe level of training is for different age groups, you could also consult a specialist physio for advice/reassurance.

Does your DM have a dog? Is she maybe thinking of the "rules" (advice) for walking puppies and not to take young dogs running with you?

She’s probably the sort of person who thinks adult runners probably have bad joints, or will develop them. It’s bullshit. You’re far more likely to have bad joints as a fat person than you ever would be as a regular runner. As long as he isn’t overexerting himself regularly (which can cause some problems), it’s absolutely fine.

Unless she is a medical proffessional specialising in paediatric bone development I wouldn't listen to her.
She can express concern as Grandparent but its not her decision

I’ve never run anywhere if I can help it but I think what you’re doing is fine. She’s thinking up “reasonable” sounding objections to something she doesn’t understand

It’s so true but a lot of people don’t know it. It’s always worth repeating!

She probably hated your dad being a runner 😀

This!

Not at the distances he's doing. As my very keen 13 year old DS is finding out, children aren't allowed to do longer distances to avoid issues, but I assume he's not (I don't know much about fell running, but a junior club should follow the guidelines). Assuming you're not having him run long distances, or pushing him too hard, then it's fine and there are lots of benefits to running.