is it fair to stop your child doing an activity he or she likes because it cuts into the weekend too much?

[foothesnoo]

For example, a sport that has a two hour training session one day and a competitive game/ match the day after?

Discuss!

work out a drop of system with another parent.
is mean to stop them doing osmething they enjoy imo

God, put all the inmates of the Inferiority Complex together for a weekend and we reach quite homicidal levels. We grumble. We mooch sullenly. The Inferiorettes slouch in front of the telly. DP complains that his life is one long round of domestic chores, as he puts yet another round of washing on. I snarl at their refusal to eat something I've particularly looked forward to having for lunch.

How old is he? I think it's a but unfair, but maybe HE could be making it easier for you if a bit older - arranging with another friend to get a lift sometimes for example

We have activities on a weekend.

Saturday morning ds2 has Spanish and ds1 has football.

Sunday morning they all have football (but ds1 misses it if it's Church Parade).

Tbh, it's not a big deal for me. It's better than slobbing out doing nothing and we go away, well they just miss the activities - no big deal.

I've always put foot down on weekend activities, though sometimes asked because "but X does ballet/football etc on Saturdays"

We need to slob. They need to slob. We like to be unfettered to do both improving activities and intense slobbing activitie as and when we choose.

Extra-curricular activities are a right PITA during the week too. I'm very happy for dc's to do some, but in later Juniors (Years 4-6) it gets out of proportion - my children end up not being able to play with friends because everyone else is off on improving activities. A friend of my DD did a total of TEN activities after school and at weekends during Y5 and Y6.

You have to do what feels right for all your family - is your DS really keen to do organised football, or is it just a whim? Do you have other children who might enjoy an activity at the same time?

My DD has been doing gym on a Sat morning for years, but DS has never wanted to do an organised activity at that time. He does now, so we will let him, and have our family time in the afternoon / evening, and Sunday!

It is o.k.
My boss takes his sun swimming.
I mean they are serious about it. Training competitions etc. That is fine.
It bothers me more stupid people like the ones PrimulaV describes. Brownies once a week was good enough for me. Twats that do ballet mondays, swimming tuesdays etc etc. They get on my nerves.
But then I am Oblomov.
The word mean a superfluous man who .... slobs basically.
Maybe PrimulaV is my soulmate

I have this with ds1 and cricket - our whole weekend seems to be about this at the mo. Practice or match on Weds evening 5.30 -8.30
then Sun am 9.30-12.00
He loves it. We watch the matches - me, dh and ds2 (3.5) I am bored to tears with it. and the huge kit and whites. grrr. but something in me thinks it is good for him.

Foothesnoo

Where will the matches be? And what time?

From bitter experience, I can tell you that matches at 9am close to home are fine; matches at 12pm half a county away are not!

Also, do you have other dcs? Can be very wearying for them to trail around the touchlines every (freezing) weekend.

Oblomov - soul sisters!!

DD is about to move up dance classes and instead of it being 9.15-11.30 on a Saturday morning it will be 10.45-1.55pm on a Saturday which will eat into the whole day, but we will not stop her from doing it, why should we stop her so that we can all come home and sit around doing nothing? As I type now DH is gardening, I am in the lounge on here and DD is playing in her room - not exactly "family time". But when me and DH sit down and watch her practise her dancing not that is family time .

[/sixpennethworth]

We compromise: Saturdays for individual activites, Sundays for family outings. We do like some time when we can actually get out and about, exploring the countryside etc, and tbh I think it's a bit much to expect us to spend the whole weekend ferrying dc's backwards and forwards.

Family time doesn't have to mean doing nothing. It can equally well mean enjoying an activity together.

atm it is all a bit of an academic question as dd's health problems mean we can't get out much, and she's had to give up all her activities. But one day....

Depends on family setup imo.

DH works more weekends than he is at home, so we've never stopped ours doing activities at the weekends (and they often clash, lol).

The alternative for us? one exhausted mum trying to entertain three little darlings at home whilst dad is at work (or more often than not trying to keep three boisterous lads quiet whilst dad tries to sleep having worked some daft blardy shift.)

Must admit, we did find the football a pita - both mornings, different times/sites and blardy freezing some weeks.

No, i think competitive sports are very important, and much more important than, say, wandering around a stately home with your mum and dad.

my dd trains 9.30-1.30 on Sats and often has comps and extra training on sundays, i would never make her miss it.