What to do with DS who should be playing but wants to learn

[chillikate]

What do you do??

How do you avoid the label of pushy parent?

DS is 4, starting school in September. I have been on here before with similar concerns, but a much younger child. He diverted his interests to football and life resumed as a normal 4 year old (still high ability, but spending most of his time playing)

This past fortnight he is suddenly back on his wanting to learn mission. Before now his nursery staff never really agreed with me on his abilities, mainly because he is selective in how he talks to people. He has a trainee teacher who he has formed quite a bond with. He read to her (how shocked we she when I picked him up that day!!), so she has started to bring in materials for him, like simple books and Numicon. Suddenly football is last week and reading is the only thing he wants to do.

Do I divert him back to football or support the activities he wants to do.

I have spent the past 2 years with no-one seeing his abilities and feeling like the bragging parent and I worry that I'm now pushing him the other way.

We're seeing my mum this weekend. He just wants to read to Granny but I can't handle another one of her lectures!!

Hi- I know this response is a few months late and you've already had other quality responses... but....

1. Who CARES about being LABELED????? Lets say you are in fact pushy- that is your business and anyone who comments is rude and has basically no right to comment as they are not the parent. Do what YOU want to do as long as child is not suffering

2. Lots of kids can read well at age 4..... nevertheless, your son has obviously responded
   positively to the prolific praise from his teacher (or he just obviously wants her to remain impressed with him). Not a bad thing... I'd try to praise him more at home as well though
   All people thrive on validation

3. Why force him to play. Maybe his imagination needs help or he just gets bored with kicking a ball about- totally understandable in my opinion. How about enrolling him in a drama class- that will help him interact positivly with other kids.. even if the class is only for a term- just to see how he reacts. Or, maybe stick him in a sporting activity where he can excel as an individual - like karate or ping pong or anything really not team based. Not every child is meant to be a team sport player

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