So your kid wants to quit soccer (or piano, or swim class). Should you let them?
Photo illustration by Becky Harlan/NPR
My 4-year-old dreads swimming lessons. Some nights, long past his bedtime, he calls me into his room and asks me, in a whisper, if he has to go to swim class tomorrow.
It breaks my heart. Swimming is an important safety skill, but the lessons are causing him anxiety. It made me wonder: If he wants to quit, should I let him?
It can be hard for parents to know when a kid is ready to stop taking part in an extracurricular activity. Classes and sports can encourage grit and foster belonging. But for some kids, they can also be a stress-inducing obligation.
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Vanessa Lapointe , a child psychologist and parenting coach, understands this dilemma. In these situations, the best thing to do is to avoid rushing to fix the problem. Instead, "get curious, listen and provide the child the experience of being heard."
Here's how to have hard conversations with your kids about qu
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