He (6) ONLY Seems to like Sports

Updated on August 21, 2012
M.C. asks from Escalante, UT
11 answers

Let me cut this down as I feel my initial question was too long. :)

If a boy of 6 really seems to like sports, is it best not to enroll him in other activities? He goes along with them grudgingly but doesn't really seem to ENJOY them (arts, music, nature) like he does sports. I don't want to push, but I do want to expose him to a variety of interests/activities.

He is doing piano. Should we keep this up? He gets so proud when he does a song correctly, but in general he doesn't like it. He has some issues focusing at school, and watching him read music and really concentrate on piano makes we want to keep it up. I ask just 10 minutes a day of practice (that I do with him), and he has a weekly lesson.

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J.G.

answers from Rockford on

I would say that you should keep him in other classes. If he really REALLY hates something, then you could drop it, if he is being a typical kid "I don't wanna." type thing then I would keep him in. I wouldn't say you have to keep him in piano for years and years, but you might want to give it a while and see if it grows on him. If it does try something else, if his eyes and mind are opened he may find that he enjoys something he hadn't thought of before.

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J.W.

answers from St. Louis on

Why are you worried about next summer when this one is just barely over. By next year is interests will change or maybe they will stay the same. Thing is it is his life, not your childhood revisited so let him define his interests.

Oh, S.H.'s response made me think of my childhood. My dad played piano his whole life, by the time I was two he had two baby grands and a upright. My brother played concert piano since he was five! I could not stand the piano. Thankfully when I was in junior high and declared I wanted to play the flute my dad did not say, well you had your chance or anything like that, he just let me choose my path. He was so proud of me and we all played together. I just feel a good parent lets their child choose their path.

For my older two it was sport, for the third it seems straight up video games and science, my youngest just took up the flute. :)

4 moms found this helpful
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M.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

I am another one who was forced to take many piano lessons that I absolutely hated! Because I hated it so much I retained absolutely nothing from it. I will never make my kids take an instrument that they do not like. What's the point? WHy should anyone devote so much discretionary time to something they hate?
When my sons were little I was able to use classes to 'expose' them to different things. But then they were like your son-loved their sports and thats where they wanted to spend their time. So now I expose them to everything via experiences. We go to the museum, historic sites, hiking, etc. I think that is reallly how you have to do it with most little boys. They are hands-on learners .

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S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

**I read your edit:
My son, also takes Piano. Why? Because, HE likes it. He is as I said, 6 years old. He started when he was 5 years old. He's only been taking it for a few months thus far.
Practicing, is per his Teacher... who says that at this age, ONLY 10 minutes a day. And my son does it without being nagged about it. He practices on his own by himself. I do not have to do it with him. Although I can play piano and can read music. My SON is the one, who wants to continue with piano.
My daughter, also.
-------------------------

BY next Summer... he will have different interests, or will want to do something else. It is a LONG time, 1 year... to hold a child to what they "at the moment" want to do, next... year.

I have 2 kids who are 6 and 9.
Let me tell you, they tell me NOW, what they want to do NEXT summer all the time. But by the time next summer comes.... they have a DIFFERENT idea.

Ultimately, a child should "do" what THEY are interested in or what they have a proclivity for, or what they seem to have a "talent" in.

My parents thought I should learn Piano when I was a kid. Just like you do. BUT... I HATED PIANO! Just hated it. I had to take it for 2 years. It was TORTURE and my parents wasted all that tuition money. I just did not want to take, Piano. I was interested in other arts and instruments. I played the Oboe. I excelled at Art & Sculpture classes etc. I also, was NOT my siblings. There is no reason, that all the kids in the family, has to do the SAME thing, nor only what the parents envision.
And at 6 years old... many interests will arise.
My son who is 6 likes: Skateboarding, Tennis, Hiking, playing video games, playing Super Hero, digging in dirt, riding his bike, and fixing things with Daddy. That is just a short-list, of his interests.
OH! And this past summer (he was still 5 years old then and just turned 6 recently)... he ENJOYED going to summer school. He LOVED it. Can you imagine? A 5 year old that LOVED summer school???
And he went to summer school... not because it was *my* choice... but HE told me and my Husband, that THAT is what he wanted to do, this past summer. And he loved EVERYDAY of it.

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D..

answers from Charlotte on

Do it all, Mom. He needs the exposure. When he gets a little older, you'll be glad you did because you'll see how other activities has enriched his life.

Later on, if he really doesn't care about piano, just put him in church or school choir. The point is to have him read music which works a part of the brain that is tied to math. He doesn't have to play the piano to use that part of the brain, though if you CAN get him to practice, that's great.

Dawn

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K.L.

answers from Savannah on

Your child does not need lessons or classes to get exposure! If he is really not liking the lessons, you can pull the plug on it but expose him to things like going somewhere for an afternoon trip that exposes him to the same types of things, or just do things at home to expose him. For example, you can take him to concerts in the park (might be too late for this as they are usually in the summer time), which will expose him to a variety of musical genres. Or you can take him to the art museum and then go home and make a masterpiece for the fridge. Music and art exposure without having to go over and over to a class setting.

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C.B.

answers from San Francisco on

Don't force him to take lessons he doesn't want to take. You have exposed him - he doesn't really like it. Let him quit. He may decide in a year or two, that he wants to take it up again. Let that happen (or not) on it's own. He is only six, he has many, many more years to develop other interests.

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K..

answers from Phoenix on

I wouldn't force him to do things he's not enjoying. I think it's great that he's already showed passion for something. We try different things because I haven't seen DD have that "spark" for anything yet. I thought that's why most parents have their kids try various activities.

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R.R.

answers from Chicago on

I would keep him in the other activites, and more so in music, because it helps with brain development and it will help him become a well rounded person.

You could give him the choice of learning a different instrument if he doesn't really like the piano. My parents had me in guitar lessons and I hated it as a kid, so when I told them I liked th violin more they switched my instrument and we all were much happier! :-)

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D.F.

answers from Boston on

If your son likes sports then if I were you I would put him a sports activity. My sons were in both arts, music. and sports too. Its healthy to be active and have team building skills as well. I let mine when they were young try each sport to find out what they liked best. I had a soccer player, basketball, horse back riding and now hockey. Its wonderful to watch your children compete and have fun at the same time. Its also a wonderful way to meet other parents.

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M.L.

answers from Colorado Springs on

Talk to the piano teacher! He or she will tell you whether it's worth it for your son to continue right now.

On the other hand, there is more to life than sports (that may be a surprise to some football fans). It isn't unreasonable to expose your son to some of those other things. You (and he) have only so much time and only so much money, but perhaps you can expose him to things for a while by taking him to museums, to kids' concerts, to nature centers. I also like the idea about church or school choir.

If he likes getting songs correct but doesn't care for piano, is there another instrument he might try? My younger son never cared for piano, but he did take Suzuki violin (his choice) lessons for many years from the time he was about four, and did like that. Part of it was the fact that there were group lessons as well as private lessons, and he made some good friends. (They used to play at fencing with their violin bows, but that was not encouraged....)

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