What do you do when your child doesn’t want to attend weekend activities as a one off?

[Nevertimeforcake]

Have just pushed my 4 nearly 5 yr dd out the door in floods of tears because she didn’t want to go (and/or wanted mummy to come to) Rugby tots this week. Most weeks she enjoys it and like many clubs we pay in advance and it’s not cheap. She goes with dad as it involves parental assistance with throwing etc (not my forte) and therefore I’m still in my jimjams holding screaming toddler who wants to go to rugby tots 😬 Am I right to make her go? She’s not ill just a bit off this morning after busy day yesterday. Plus it was cancelled last week so maybe the break has made her more anxious. What do other parents do when their kids get cold feet about clubs they usually enjoy?

I don't make mine go if they really don't want to

I make them go. I also have an almost 5 yo dd who decides she 'doesn't want' to go swimming etc but she goes and once there is fine.

I have a friend whose dd did trials of ballet, gym and swimming and loved them. Friend paid for term and dd promptly refused to go to any of them. So friend just swallowed the loss and accepted that .

To me, clubs are expensive and if you choose to go (or for eg swimming where its important you learn) then you go! If you want to renegotiate clubs then you do it when it's time to renew.

We've a rule where we'll let them do whatever activity they want but if we've paid upfront, they go unless ill. No issues if they don't want to keep it up once the term is over so DD has done swimming, hip hop, ballet (all only 1 term) but is on her 3rd year of gymnastics and looking to start football next month...works for us.