[Justin]

So my wife begins a "conversation" last night. She wants my 5 year old son to go to soccer camp. It's a week long from 6-8 in the evening. I know that probably sounds doable but consider this. I have 3 year old triplets that go to bed at 730, she works evenings, and I am a stay at home dad. I said no. The little kids would be up late and cranky, she would not be there to help at all with showers, bed, etc. And not to sound selfish, but dog gone it I'm tired by the time 8 oclock runs around. After a day of gardening, doing dishes, laundry, cleaning house, canning right now as stuff is coming ripe like crazy. I'm running full tilt most of the day. She says its not fair that the kids don't get to get out and do stuff. I say I'm sorry, but there is just one of me. She says I'm too hard on them, I say given the state of the current generation, I'll be danged if I'm going to raise delinquents. She always wants to take them to Chuckee Cheeses or Monkey Joes (imagine a giant bounce house indoors) I say let them play out side, thats what kids are supposed to do. Sit in the dirt and play with sticks. What do you more experienced fathers think? Am I too hard on my kids or selfish/lazy?

 

[SammyRye]

Wow - talk about role reversal! :swow:

And triplets on top of it all. You is busy! Speaking from my experience as a husband / father, my wife and I encouraged our two girls to use imagination and creativity, and didn't depend on someone / something else to entertain them. I went to a Chucky Cheese once with my grandson - vowed never to go again. Yikes, what a mass of screamin', whiny kids!

Anyway, I'm with you on this. Don't want to get on my soap box :1106: about sports activities for kids and following the crowd, so I'll leave it at that. Good luck!

Rich

 

[KHodges]

You could just as easily spend the time kicking a ball around with him in the evenings, to give him some exercise and develop his eye-hand coordination, and let the triplets spectate (or play in the mud with sticks). 5 year-olds playing soccer is like herding cats, they're in 25 directions at once. I assume you're a stay-at-home dad; if so, more power to you.

He can start with the team sports once he gets into school, the triplets won't be quite as labor-intensive by then.

and Chucky Cheese is one of the greatest idiocies ever perpetrated on parents, as far as I'm concerned. I have two daughters, and thank God they're waaaaaaaaaay beyond that now. All I have to worry with at their age is what kind of boy they're falling for. I got my shotgun ready.

 

[Ironmower]

Does your son really wanna go, or is it your wifes idea?
GOOD LUCK!!!

 

[steddy]

When I hear "camp," I think "tent." Not soccer. Bad vibe.

 

[Upper5Percent]

Soccer camps will not be critical until he's about 10-12 and then every year after...if your thinking is a scholarship to college...otherwise at 5 it is just an expensive socialization time...

 

[simpleman]

i think your right. any to think i thought those kids in your avatar when friends. triplets. pretty cool

 

[Ken in NJ]

Three year old Triplets ?? It stinks for your son who wants to play soccer ..because its a good thing to do with kids that age .. but dragging triplets out by yourself every night .. is gonna be tough IMO

But sometimes you have to do what you have to do. If it were me ?? I would do it somehow if that is what my son REALLY wanted.

:goodl: With what ever you decide to do

 

[davidg]

i'm with Ken, if your SON wants it then do it. if your wife wants it because "everyone" else's kids are in it, then no.

sit in teh vehicle the last hour of the practice and let the trips go to sleep, then bring them in 1 at a time and put to bed when you get home. is this a haslle, yes, but just wait until the trips grow up and are 3 different teams and you have to run all 3 to practice/games at the same time!

 

[Bill56]

Here a camp. There a camp. Everywhere a camp, camp - I agree.....at five years old.....keep him home!!

 

[Mouse]

As we found out in football this year "clicks" start at an early age. Soccer is the best game around for young kids... but at 5? What happened to weekend games? Is'nt there a whole season comming up? Need hand eye coordination, give him an old engine to take apart. Gave my oldest son one, at the age of 5, you should hear him now- wants to BUILD his own airplane- so he can have his pilots lic. at 14 and fly a 747- he's 11 now. Soccer sounds easy compaired to building a airplane, would'nt change givin him that 1st engine.

 

[ohiocowboy1277]

im not very experienced but i gotta agree with you as well as others . I agree your too busy to take him there but I also think you could teach him the basics of it by taking him outside and kicking the ball around for a little bit. It is easy to get wrapped up in the triplets because they need more so kicking the ball around with your 5y/o would be good one on one time with him . I also agree that soccer camp for a 5y/o is not necessary and kids need to use their imagination more and need disipline today . They get put in front of the tv or play video games all day and there is no creativity,imagination, or disipline at all. I see how most are today acting like little wannabe thugs . we have 4 of them running around here that think its ok to break into cars and houses all 4 are between 10-14 years old . I blame this on the parents because they should not be out at 2am . the parents would be the first to complain about society if someone were to kidnap them lol

 

[Small Fry]

I did it but I didn't have triplets to take care of.
Might be some hot soccer moms hanging out...:hide: They might even help you with the Triplets ? I'm aways looking for the good side of things.. :ROF

:goodl: Either way !

 

[G-1]

I vote with the OhioCowboy...:ditto: :ditto: :ditto:

 

[ar2stp48]

Soccer "camp" for a 5 y/o? This is just one of those "the thing to do, cause everyone is doing it; and it is a substitute for parent involvement with our children. Soccer is great, but he will benefit from a summer camp when he has shown a true interest and a couple of years older. Got a soccer ball, bat and softball? Spend some time with him and play with these. It will begin his skills in each AND strengthen the parent/child bond.

With you 100% on the concern for activities to develop his imagination. That is seriously lacking in our children today. It tracks through the school years as a difficulty in problem solving.

Chucky Cheese and the look alikes: been there one time and refused to return. Walk in the door and let the kids run wild--it is a baby sitting envioroment while the parents gather and chat.

Will crawl down from my soap box now; sorry to be so long winded. I agree with you completely; stick to your thoughts.

Background for my comments: parent of three--youngest is 24 now; single parent when I gained custody in the big D; teacher who see a serious decline in the parent interaction with our kids today and observes the decrease in imagination in students today.

 

[Ingersoll444]

Well... Man 5 is pretty young to get in to that reuteen!!!! Being your alone, and would have to take care of all 4, I would defently pass. Its just too much to ask IMHO.

 

[munderhill]

You sound like a great Dad and husband to me. Nothing wrong with raising kids with a little old fashioned values. I try to do the best I can along with my wife and it's hard as you already know.
Keep up the good parenting!:goodl:

MU

 

[scrat2]

My first wife had my son go to soccer camp one summer and he hated it! Said he'd rather spend his summer riding bike, being at the pool, hanging out with his friends, fishing with Grandpa, etc. It was too much to digest and he was eight years old back then. If your 5 year old wants to interact with other kids, start with his siblings. Social skills start at home, in my opinion.

 

[FoodPlotter]

as long as you are giving them quality attention at home, then external stimuli aren't needed. IMHO the loud noises and flashing colors from the cartoons and video games contributes to the waves of "ADHD" seen in society nowadays. the brain gets used to a constant flow of stimuli and can't handle it when they aren't there. looking back, i am thankful that there was only "atari" when i was a kid and i wasn't given every game made. there's a reason home schooled kids tend to outpace their public school peers. it's lack of distraction. soccer camp at 5 is unnecessary. if the kids get to HS and are serious about a sport that can earn them a scholarship, then it might have benefit. but we'll only let our kids play sports IF they maintain honor roll grades.

 

[Caseguytoo]

I don't know about anyone else but I can hardly remember anything about my life as a five year old. For some strange reason, your wife is under the impression that such "camps" are necessary for all kids that age. Nonesense! Five-year old's have a short attention span. They're still busy discovering the world around them and they're still having issues with muscle co-ordination.

Parents have to stop pushing kids into stuff like this. Give your child a chance to figure out what he wants to do on his own and then foster that interest at home so you can monitor it. My son and daughter were in their early double digit years before they expressed a real passion for a sport. Fortunately for my daughter, both my wife and I rode horses and this sport is something that she is still engaged in at age 39. She owns two horses that she trains and campaigns locally with.

My son was fortunate because I used to ride motorcycles as a teenager so I fully understood his interest. I was totally involved in his early development as a motocross racer and cherish to this day the experiences we shared. After a few amateur championships, he went on to become a Pro racer in SuperMoto and became the first Canadian champion in two classes and is the current reigning champion.

Neither my wife nor myself ever pushed our children toward these activities. They discovered their desire for them all on their own. A sport is supposed to be something you love to do. Being pushed into it is a far cry from being exposed to it. In school, boys and girls are exposed to certain sports as part of a phys-ed program. However, school teams are made up from those who voluntarily sign up and then they must have the talent and work ethic to actually "make the team".

So, I'm totally on your side. First of all, this camp is totally premature and secondly, you've already got your hands full with those triplets. Perhaps your wife should try trading places with you for a month. She just might have a better comprehension of the situation if that were to happen.

Perhaps you should consider showing her this thread.