Why does my kid beg to join activities and then fight going?
Kids often beg for activities they genuinely love but put up a massive fight when it is actually time to leave for practice. This resistance usually stems from the difficulty of transitions rather than a dislike for the activity itself, leaving parents paying for classes they have to drag their children to or consider quitting entirely.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Enforcing a strict rule that children must finish out the season or see commitments through once signed up
- 2Allowing the child to quit after the current commitment ends and avoiding signing them up for things in the future
- 3Managing difficult transitions by giving earlier mental preparation, visual schedules, calendars, or avoiding fun activities right before practice
- 4Pushing through the resistance by making them go anyway, knowing they will enjoy it once they arrive
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“My younger daughter, 8, is the queen of begging to sign up for activities and then not wanting to go when it comes time for practices, etc.”source ↗
“Then, I pay for her to play and she doesn't want to go.”source ↗
“I am at the point where I would rather just have her quit, than hear her complain or fight with her to go anymore.”source ↗
“My 5.5yo absolutely LOVES gymnastics, begged to be signed up, practiced at home daily, etc. Every week for class it would be a fight to get to the car and yet, every week, had the most fun ever learning new moves and practicing.”source ↗
“My four year old is the same. She has a great time once she’s there but never wants to go and I think it’s because transitions are hard.”source ↗
Where this came up
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