DS wants to give up all activities

[PrayForMyBum]

Hi. My DS is 8, and constantly complains about the activities he does and wants to give them up. That makes it sound like he does a lot - he doesn't.
He has a half-hour swimming class one evening a week, and he goes to Cubs on another evening.
The swimming is mandatory, in my view, and I've told him he can give up once he gets to a certain point. All of his friends from school also go to Cubs, so I can't quite work out why he wants to stop (I have asked him about it, and it's nothing to do with his friends - he says there are too many younger kids and it's 'boring'). DH volunteers as one of the Cub leaders and says there's nothing going on that he can see and that DS seems to be having a good time when he's there.
I've asked him about other things he'd like to do instead, but there isn't anything. He's otherwise happy and sociable.
I guess I'm wondering whether this just a stage? I know he doesn't HAVE to do anything, and I don't want to force him, but I also don't want him to just have nothing else going on but school and home!

The points about tech not being the alternative are good ones, too. I need to let him know that.

He is really into building stuff - any Lego or detailed construction can keep him occupied for hours. Haven’t seen any STEM/engineering type clubs for kids, but he’d love something like that.

I would agree with you on swimming in that I've let mine stop at a certain point.

Maybe try a few things out on a different night to cubs, and see if anything clicks?

Doing a hobby aside from swimming one evening a week dosent seem excessive, although if he enjoys it when he's actually there, I'd hang in a while.

I suspect others poster have hit the nail on the head and once he knows his evening won't be replaced with extra access to screens he will suddenly decide he doesn't want to quit after all.

I’d say let him quit cubs.

I quit ballet at a similar age because I stopped enjoying it and have never regretted it.

However my parents forced me to go to sunday school (synagogue) for years which I hated, and it became a shouting match every week.

I’d wait until the summer- going out to things in a winter evening can make anyone want to stay home!

I have two children, the first academic and athletic. He has done quite a few activities over the years including completing all 8 swimming levels. He is now a 2nd Dan black belt in karate and plays for a football team who always lose but is made up of all his pals so he enjoys it. I hope he will keep up his karate as it is such an easy activity to do at university or if he moves to a new town for work. Will give him a group of committed people to socialise with and keep him fit. Plus the self esteem of knowing he has achieved a recognised level. It was also his first experience of doing exams, from age 6 and then failing one grading and having the guts to try again and succeed.
Second child is autistic and struggles to socialise. She doesn’t have the normal social life of a child her age. She does two musical theatre classes, ballet and guides. She gets to mix with peers, keep fit and guides in particular give her experiences like camping she wouldn’t otherwise get.
Two very different children who benefit enormously from extra curricular activities. I know lots drop things around 12 to 14 but not 8. I would say ok but you have to do something else.

It is good to do things but parents sign kids up and decide the child has to it, kid goes doesn't join in really but the parent has decided it has to be done now the parent won't let them quit but was it ever really the kid that wanted to do it in the first place?

As an adult I chose what i want to do and if I don't want to continue I dont

Let him give up cubs if he really wants, but only at the end of term. He might have changed his mind by then. Kids can be fickle, especially when it's dark outside, and the thought of going out again after school can be quite unappealing. You might find he changes his mind. If it really is boring (groups vary massively) perhaps it's just not for him.

My DD wanted to give up scouts in the winter, I told her that was fine, but she had to see out the term. Come the summer, she loved it again, and continued through Scouts, Explorers, and is now a leader. She's really glad she stuck it out and started to enjoy it again.

I agree with pp cubs gets much more interesting in the spring. More groups get out and about lighting fires, camping, swimming etc. If they don’t I can see his point. Our group at the moment is inside a draughty hall where everyone has to wear woolly hats and gloves. Not the best time of year.