How important to encourage a range of interests in Yr7?

[Bramshott]

DD1 started Yr7 in Sept and is settling in well. Music is very much her thing, but counting up this morning I realise that of 3 clubs in school and 2 clubs out of school, all are music-based. She did used to swim but stopped lessons in Yr6 and isn't that keen on joining a swimming club (although probably would if pushed). She tried Drama club at school for a bit but didn't really enjoy it.

SO - how important do you think it is to encourage a wide range of interests at age 12? Or do you accept that by this age they have by and large found their 'thing' and are focussing on it? She enjoys most of her subjects at school and reads fairly widely.

Lemon But you'd insist on sport for non sporty kids who might hate it or be useless at it (there are plenty of ways to be active without doing organised sport). Ok. AFAIC music/drama/dance are just as vital as sport. As are other creative pursuits. More so, probably.

gently what sort physical activity do you think a 12yo will that isn't a sport? One that they would do on a regular basis, will get their heart rate going up?

Doing a sport allows fur regularity.
It also teaches them of regular exercise which is essential for their health as adult, helps releasing tension and stress (and they will have lots if them with exams), encourage better MH etc.

Your DD presumably does sport at school. She's found her main interest early, which is useful if it's music, and I would leave her to it.

Walking. Cycling for transport. Dancing. Drama classes can be very physical, but it depends what you're doing. I'm a runner, I'm certainly not opposed to excercise but I'm very dubious about those who say they would force a creative child to do a sport because sport is so valuable but see no value in creative pursuits.
Hak - the idea of accomplishments is so Caroline Bingley but I sort of understand where you're coming from - when they are little of they get to try lots of stuff they can work out what they like and what they don't, what will enrich them as a person and what won't. By the time they are 12 so long as they are active enough to be healthy and read enough that they aren't dull or under-informed the rest of it is up to them, surely?

I think I agree that maybe more physical activity is needed (she gets the bus to school). She does run in the summer but not at this time of year. Swimming at the weekend I think, and continuing to express enthusiasm at any mention of a sporting interest...

I must admit that I still actively encourage (insist?) my teens to try new things.

Last night for example, I strong armed them into attending a poetry reading with me. I met some...ahem...resistance... and applied bribery (is there anything Chinese food can't do?).

They absolutely loved it and both asked if they could attend another event soon.

My da wanted to go to a particular club at school but was worried about being seen as "uncool" so I paid him to go. His mates were very impressed!

Yoga or pilates perhaps for exercise. Or zumba/dancing?

If you go hill-walking/hiking/camping etc as a family that will hopefully develop a healthy love of the outdoors that she can continue in either a structured or non-structured way as she gets older (and potentially give her the confidence to see more of the world cheaply/do DofE etc)

Charity work perhaps - great for mixing with people of all ages and walks of life.

My DD did mostly music things (+ DofE and Zumba). Sadly she now does nothing that isn't musical - in fact she hopes to be a musician. I feel she doesn't have a healthy lifestyle though..... Cautionary tale......

It can be an uphill struggle keeping musical DCs active too.

DD1 is happy to join another choir, but a school sport club, no way.

Fortunately she has always kept up going to Guides and now Rangers and that has occasional out breaks of hiking miles. Although it too also ends up as an impromptu music recital some times due to the others singing and playing things too.

Getting DD2 to do anything except gymnastics and trampolining is impossible.

My DS is the same - he loathed school games when it was hockey followed by rugby followed by cricket. So far this year he's done gym work, rock climbing, basketball, tennis and badminton and he now looks forward to games lessons. (He used to try to persuade his instrument teacher to schedule lessons to overlap with games periods so he could go to the library for the rest of it).

I think it is more important for young people to follow their interests to find the things they really love than to force them down specific routes.

I have one DC who is a rugby playing lad who likes team sport and another who likes drama and writing and would rather do anything than play team sport. As long as they are happy, I don't really mind what they do.

Mine are a bit older, 14 and 16, but I wouldn't dream of making them pursue an activity they didn't want to and when younger I was always been happy to let them to drop an activity when they lose interest - including one who was at national championship standard at 10 and just decided on the way home from the finals one year he was done with it and we stopped his training.

IMO there is nothing worse than a child doing an activity they aren't really keen on just to please their parent. I just want them to be happy

DD14 likes art and music- piano lessons on a thursday night, junior jazz ensemble as a Monday lunchtime club, her sketchbook never seems to leave her side. We go to exhibitions together.

DD12 does piano lessons too, but her heart is not in there, she enjoys playing, but does not want to "learn" and is just doing the lessons because she is worried she won't be able to play any more if she stops...(a bit of a worry-wort) ... she does some sewing and crafts too and she likes to draw manga.

As for exercise - we have a dog. Evening walks 40-60 min a day are the kids "responsibility". As is training (not really, but it gets them doing some) and general rough and tumble chase games with him. And we all take the dog out on the hills and through the woods at the weekend.

I love music art and drama and so do my two younger dds but I think it is essential that children exercise - getting out of breath exercise - three or four times a week. Lovely as music is, is doesn't help your physical health (emotional health yes if you love it). Surely there is jobs argument about exercise being important? If mine didn't exercise I would pay them to!

*no argument

My issue is that some posters seem to deny parity of esteem between sport and other stuff. Arty kids should beads to do sports but sporty kids aren't perceived as needing to do anything else. It's a shame for the kids.

I think arty kids (mine both are) or indeed everybody - need to exercise - not necessarily do sports.

Nolonger - exactly. But some people seem to think that organised sport (in clubs) is a sine qua non. And anything else isn't.

I hasten to add - it's fine, they are entitled to their views obviously I just thought it was a bit...odd and commented on it in a bored moment! :)

To be fair, I'd say that amongst families I know, it's far more likely that the dc want to go to football club/sea cadets/surfing, and get hassled to do music practice, rather than the other way around.

You see, the trouble is that reading the above posts I can imagine any "ordinary" kid's heart sinking. County players, accomplished musicians, talented artists etc etc.

If someone is just blah at things, and atrocious at sporty pursuits, then it's no real encouragement to join an activity if it's going to make them feel crap about themselves.

An extra-curricular activity should be enjoyable, a relaxation but - I'm sorry - I can feel the competitiveness oozing off some previous posts.

Organised sport is about competition. Most kids roped into it are fodder, for the really good ones to beat on their way to the top. Creative pursuits (which includes stuff like gaming and coding, not just the obvious ballet and piano) are about kids having fun and doing something that interests them either with others or on their own. I know what's more important for an enriched happy life. And it's not being someone else's fodder.

But having said that I think that everyone should run or walk, unless they can't, because running and walking are fab and you can listen to music/a good audio book while you do it. :) being fit is really important. Engaging in competitive sport is something entirely different. If a kid wants to do it, brilliant. If not, they should be hounded into doing it to satisfy someone's notion of what kids should be made to do.

takver indeed.

My DS is stood by his bed in shin pads etc come Sunday match time. But I have to bribe him with Peking Duck to get him to go to a poetry reading.

Brenda I don't think all EC activities need to be relaxing. They can be stimulating and challenging and difficult. Sometimes it's those activities that we most resist yet turn out to be the most rewarding.

Not necessarily, Gently, my dd loathes competitive team sport but enjoys lifesaving a lot, it is basically about learning skills. Admittedly the aim is to reach a certain standard to qualify as a beach lifeguard at age 16, but if they stick with it then most dc should be able to achieve it (unless they have eg health limitations, even then it is a real life skill).

There is also plenty of non organised sport, eg dd likes surfing, just at the level of messing about with a board but it's still good exercise and fun.

I would say in dd's little world performance is far more competitive, who gets placed in the Eisteddfod, who gets the good parts in the play etc.

My DSS1, who is nearly 20, hated most sport growing up, despite plenty of exposure (DP and DSS2 are super sporty and the family belongs to a big Paris club where they spent lots of time).

A few years ago he discovered individual sports: running and the gym. He is now super fit and works out several days a week.