DD is 7.5 and I am starting to worry about her lack of stamina for exercise.
For the past few years she has chosen to do a different sporting activity (karate, dance and gym) and each year it's the same, she loses motivation shortly after Christmas and moans about having to go.
This years she doesn't want to do any sport outside of school. She also doesn't want to do art/craft clubs or music which are also possibilities. Fair enough, she's young and can try these things later if she changes her mind. I plan to make sure we do plenty of sport as a family at the weekends to make up for her not doing any thing extra in the week. But she is so lacking in stamina, I don't know how.
She had swimming lessons for a term last year and could swim 20m by the end of them but since lessons stop whenever we go to the pool she refuses to swim for more than 4 breast strokes saying 'it's not a lesson, I don't have to swim, I can just play in the water'.
When we go on family bike rides, after 2 km max she moans her legs are tired and wants to turn around so I go home with her and DH continues with DS. This is what happened today. I feel frustrated because I would like to go out on family walks or bike rides with a picnic but we would never all make it that far. She is a very strong willed child and won't be persuaded to continue if she's set her mind against it. She will just turn round and go back so I have to follow her.
She currently walks 4km per day to and from school and is not overweight and doesn't have any mobility issues. She is not out of breath when she cycles so I think she is lacking in muscle.
It feels to me like her lack of fitness discourages her but I don't know to get her stronger as she gives up all the time.
Any ideas?