What do your non-sports loving boys do during recess?

We tried a few things with him, but he’s got the coordination of a surgery patient who’s already been sedated. (His legs are twisted from birth and he’s been through physical therapy as a result.) He hated soccer, and he did karate for six years before he finally came to me and very sweetly told me that it had become boring. (He’s a very patient child…)

So right now we’re just happy with Cub Scouts. He can focus his attention on earning the badges (which don’t require much physical coordination) and feel like he’s accomplishing the same things that other boys his age are doing. In the meantime he’s one of the smartest kids in his class, he plays chess against just about anyone, and he won the Math Bowl again this year. Those are his loves, and that’s what we support. I don’t feel that he’s missing out on anything. He’s kind of proud to be “different” from the sports-obsessed boys at school.

As for the multiple kids thing, I usually don’t have all my kids doing something at once. Sometimes Brianna is doing something, sometimes Parley is doing something. Next week I’ve got both of them plus Lily starting swimming lessons, and that’ll be the first time in ages that they are all occupied. I haven’t had any of them complain about being treated unfairly with these things. In general, I think having two or three days of the week occupied for an hour or so by some extra-curricular activity is not bad. More than that can get a little ridiculous. But I think it’s a personal decision, depending on your patience and schedule.

Unfortunately, I have multiple children! Swimming is Amelia’s sport, but I don’t think it is Duncan’s. It seems like second and third children always end up shorted. I don’t want to insist that swimming be Duncan’s sport, but I can only be in so many places at one time and support so many activities. Practically speaking, since he gets no exposure to sports at home, how many different sports can I introduce him to? Also, how long do I need him to make him stick with the sport before deciding it’s not his sport? And even if he did find one he loved [which is by no means a certain proposition], can I really be a swim mom and a baseball mom (for example) at the same time? Supporting the swimming alone has pushed me to exhaustion. Maybe though, I just need to do more and step up for my kids. However, I’m not sure that this is right. Our homelife is crazy when there are too many activities. The point of trying to find them some athletics to be involved in is make their life happier, but if it makes us all unhappy, what is the point?

I’d much rather spend my time reading with the kids or practicing for spelling bees than driving them to athletics practices. Especially when (as with Duncan) they equate practice with torture. I guess I just have to find a balance somehow.

I’m not trying to endorse a sports frenzy, and heaven knows nobody in our home actually watches sports on TV or could name a single professional player that hasn’t been in the news with a scandal revolving around him, but I think it’s great to give them the opportunity to play with other kids and have fun. After all, aren’t sports supposed to just be about playing a game? Another thought–some kids just need to be a little older to enjoy team sports. I think we were just throwing our money away until Parley turned eight. Before that, he just hated sports. Since then, he loves them. Go figure.