Perseverance is learned, so if your kids come to you wanting to quit, it’s worth it to think hard about how you respond. Are there ever times it’s OK to let your child quit a sport or activity? In this episode, Susan shares three times her kids wanted to throw in the towel, and she said no.
When your child wants to quit, do you reply with an automatic no because that’s not how your family does things? If you’re not open to discussing why your child wants to quit, you might be missing out on an opportunity to teach lessons about perseverance and what makes someone a valuable member of a team. If your child is part of an activity that’s year-round or one that you’ve invested a lot of money in, he might not feel like he has a chance to speak up and say he’s ready to try something else. So we talk about how to check in with your kids to see if they’re still enjoying their activities.
If you do allow your child to step back from an activity, there’s another opportunity there to teach. In Megan’s case, when she quit piano, she had to tell the teacher she was quitting, and she had to explain it to her grandmother, who’d been paying for the lessons for eight years. Talk about character-building!
Is quitting all bad? We talk about the argument some make that allowing your child to quit could foster a spirit of exploration. If your kids know they’ll be allowed to make a choice about whether to move forward, they’ll probably be more likely to try something new. What do you think?
Articles We Mentioned
10 Things to Keep in Mind Before You Let Your Children Quit
Try Strategic Quitting to be a More Relaxed Mom
The Upside of Allowing Your Child to Quit
Rachel Simmons’ Book: Enough As She Is
Printables We Think You’ll Like
Do you let your child quit, or are there rules you have in place to guide your child through his choice to quit?
