It takes a village

[Radnine]

Hey all,

I was wondering if anyone here might be able to help me with some ideas.

My son is seven and an only child. He is very clever and plays house league hockey in winter and soccer in summer. He has just started in Beavers and it is the only hour and a half that he is out of our sight (other than school of course). The question that I have is what to do with him other than that?

For instance, I have missed the boat on French immersion but would love him to learn the language (although Chinese would probably be of more help in the future). Is there perhaps a French club or something like for kids?

The other thing that I would like him to do is learn to play an instrument. Any thoughts on types of music programs for kids (successes or failures that you can pass on)?

I guess that I am trying to round him out a bit and also keep him engaged in learning, hopefully while having some fun. Also some other influences in his life wouldn't hurt (he has already mastered crabbing 101 and advanced smart ass from the Mrs. and me.)

Thanks in advance!

Jim

[danbouck]

I started playing guitar when I was 9. It kept me busy and out of trouble (mostly )

[CLofchik]

Get him into go-karts? Drop him off at the track in Mount Hope with a tank of gas, pick him up at sunset.

At the very least he'll understand that the key doesn't start your car.

 

If he becomes a multi-millionaire F1 driver that's just a bonus

[bigfish1965]

Guitar=girls. He will thank you later. Learning myself and it seems to work..lol.

[canadianboy]

stop having him play soccor and get him in to rep baseball you need not have played to join rep for your first year he will get to spend time with 12 other kids make friends play sports another three nights of the week. i played rep ball when i was a kid those are definatley some of my best memories

[splashhopper]

My daughter, Botbot, started Taekwondo with her older sister when she was 5 years old.

 

It started with 2-3 times per week... and soon grew to 5 nights per week.

The club she is with keeps the kids focused on school, home and martial arts.

 

They are not allowed to advance in their belt colours without a note from home and their teacher about their performance there as well.

 

Botbot has done very well in this sport and is well liked by her coaches and her peers.

 

She enjoys the competition and she loves helping the "little dragons" advance to their next belt colour.

 

As her father, I can attest to her discipline and her appreciation of her sport at such a young age. ( now 11 years old)

 

The sport ( tournaments) has a loyal following and is great for keeping the kids motivated to achieve bigger and better results by their actions and attitudes.

 

So far (aged 11), she is still as interested and excited to be a part of this martial art as she was at 5 years old.

 

Now I pray that she still will be when "the hormones " kick in.

 

We lose a lot of the kids at that time of their life, but I am told that the skills and attitudes they developed in those formative years never leave them.. I trust her coaches and their experience.... ( no choice really ..lol)

 

I won't post the pic of her winning the NATIONAL title for 11 year ( 52 lb category) again.. but rest assured, it took lots of HER effort and dedication to achieve that goal.

 

We never push her to compete and we never tell her she must do this .... it comes from within....

 

If / when the day comes that she wants to quit, we will talk with her and support whatever her decisions will be. We will also remind her that we would LOVE to hear her name announced in competition at the 2016 Olympics. She wants to try and we will try our best to help her achieve HER goal...

 

Bottom line... introduce your son to the things HE is interested in and then support his decision to the best of your ability....

 

He already loves you for who YOU are and you get the privilege of guiding and walking with him as he grows in to the young man he chooses.

 

God bless

 

Splashhopper

[bigugli]

Get him out fishing and hiking more often.Serious one on one time will make a big difference in his life as well as yours. Having your son in numerous activities is good to a point. Too much grooming, too many structured activities, and micro management might produce a 13 year old burnout.

[HTHM]

I would suggest free, UNSTRUCTURED time to be a kid and goof off.

But, for music, the Hamilton Childrens Chior is a fantastic training ground.

[irishfield]

Keep him off the internet ! Before you know it he'll be wasting all his productive time sitting at the keyboard critiquing fishing posts.

[Radnine]

Keep him off the internet ! Before you know it he'll be wasting all his productive time sitting at the keyboard critiquing fishing posts.

 

classic!

[BillM]

stop having him play soccor and get him in to rep baseball you need not have played to join rep for your first year he will get to spend time with 12 other kids make friends play sports another three nights of the week. i played rep ball when i was a kid those are definatley some of my best memories

 

Kid, this is Canada... That boy needs to be on the ice

 

I played hockey in the winter and ball in the summer all the way up until I was 19... Some of the best times for sure!

[JohnF]

Just encourage him to try a variety of things. Soon he'll be making friends and wanting to share their interests, and he'll start to sort out whether he likes team or solo sports, or music, or fishing, or any of the myriad pursuits there are for kids today. At some point he's going to want to try everything so you'll have to make a few decisions that he won't like.

 

The biggest challenge most of us face as parents is to try to save our kids from having no positive experiences and interests while making sure that they don't miss out on those wonderful years of just being a kid. The biggest mistake I see parents make is trying to relive their own lives through their kids, trying to fit them into the holes we didn't quite fill.

 

I think the best thing we can do is encourage them generally and grease the wheels (as in buy the gear they need, or the lessons). If they find something they really love they won't need to be pushed. If they need to be pushed they probably don't really love it. That's not to say there won't be days when they'd rather go out and play instead of going to practice. Kids will be kids. Your job is to figure out if they're begging off cuz they really hate it, or just because they're having a little kid moment. As they get older you'll start to see the pattern emerge. You do a good job of teaching values and he'll do a good job of evaluating.

 

I envy you having this road to travel. I don't begrudge one second of the time or one cent of the money that we poured into encouraging our kids to discover what they loved and were capable of. I wouldn't change a minute of it. Have fun. And make sure the kid has as much fun.

 

JF

[Chris]

The other thing that I would like him to do is learn to play an instrument. Any thoughts on types of music programs for kids (successes or failures that you can pass on)?

 

They say that if you learn music on piano, other instruments are easier to grasp. Maybe a good place to start....he will probably want to strap on a guitar as he gets a bit older. My 10 yr. old daughter started taking piano lessons at her school last year. She gets a half hour of lessons per week and she can read music and play songs out of a book. She practises about a half hour a day. We got her a Yamaha keyboard for a few hundred bucks and her lessons are $15 each or $60/month. Pretty inexpensive if you ask me.

 

If your son takes an interest in music and you feel he could use more serious training there are many music academies and schools out there as well as freelance teachers. Also check local studios, some of them have wide ranging programs including music lessons. Going rate seems to be around $30/hr. for lessons but don't quote me on that.

 

Good luck, there's nothing sweeter to my ears than my daughter practicing her piano and singing.

[Joey]

I agree with the guitar or drums. My son is an only child and he tried the guitar, but was alot better at drums.

 

If he enjoys animals, you can have him walk dogs at the pound, volunteer his time at the SPCA or a vet's office, might get him interested in becoming a vet, or get him riding horses, they are alot of fun and there are pony clubs and riding groups that do little competitions that kids enjoy.

 

Have him take a young mechanics course, or teach him at home, so he knows how to fix his cars when he is older, or electronics etc.

 

Just a few thoughts.

 

Joey

[danbouck]

Guitar=girls. He will thank you later. Learning myself and it seems to work..lol.

 

yep

[pigeonfisher]

The best advice anyone has given me for my three boys is...Spend twice as much time and half as much money. We never have the opportunity to relive a day that could have been spent out with the kids. Whether it's riding bike, fishing, walking through a toy store looking at things and not buying, playing with the dogs or even banging on the various instruments around the house.

 

As has been mentioned numerous times, the amount of structure that we attempt to throw at these wildly imaginative minds may only stifle their growth...

 

who knows.

 

Have a blast.

[tinbanger]

sounds like a great kid.

 

My advice whatever he gets invloved with you get involved with , weather thats coaching , cheering , being a Beaver leader whatever .

We did it and I think that why I can't get rid of the kids/teenagers + now !LOL

 

Hav efun

[spinnerbaitking]

I have 3 kids 19 & 23yr old sons & a 24 yr old daughter, my oldest 2 started archery at 2 & 3 & shot for over 15 years, my youngest started when he hit 2 also, I ran a club with as many as 64 kids for just under 20 yrs, we shoot indoors & out, had them shooting at 3-D Provincial shoots & the Ontario Summer Games, The Archers Of Caledon was one of the best clubs around & had a kids program, 1 thing I told the kids is you can try & beat Johny but what if he isn't any good, your better off trying to beat your own score if you want to get better, check the link for a club near you, good luck with your choose, my 2 sons play Guitar & Bass & really enjoy it their in a band together Blaze N Murder, check them out

 

http://www.myspace.com/blazenmurder

 

Richard

 

https://www.oaa-archery.on.ca/index.php

[bigugli]

sounds like a great kid.

 

My advice whatever he gets invloved with you get involved with , weather thats coaching , cheering , being a Beaver leader whatever .

We did it and I think that why I can't get rid of the kids/teenagers + now !LOL

 

Hav efun

 

Gotta agree.

 

Was voluntold into being a Beaver leader. Wound up a Scouter for 10 years of fun and adventure, not just for my kids' sake but for mine as well.

Sometimes it helps for a parent to just be a kid again every once in a while, too.

[Gerritt]

Caledonia Hunters and Anglers, Martial Arts, Gymnastics and the numerous "friends of the grand" groups..

 

and get him out fishing

 

G

[troutologist]

Somewhat speaking from a kids point of view, more time in the outdoors, fishing, hunting and camping.

 

Looking back those are my most cherished memories. My Dad is older now and its tougher to motivate him to get out. Still my favourite trips each year are the few I get him out, bird hunting or rainbow fishing.

 

I think other priorities come up during the teenage years but if that love of the outdoors is instilled early he will come back to it.

[anders]

Somewhat speaking from a kids point of view, more time in the outdoors, fishing, hunting and camping.

 

Looking back those are my most cherished memories. My Dad is older now and its tougher to motivate him to get out. Still my favourite trips each year are the few I get him out, bird hunting or rainbow fishing.

 

I think other priorities come up during the teenage years but if that love of the outdoors is instilled early he will come back to it.

 

I will second that...especially from a younger guys persepective...also...dont force something on them if they really dont like it...give him the chance...but if they really dont like music...dont force it...they will just rebel against it...at least i did. Show them what you love to do and bring him along with you...he might just find the joy in that with you. Thats what my dad with me and my brother and we turned out somewhat ok...hahaha

 

Im sure you will have things figured out..have fun with him!

[trout-eater]

your son is seven??? and you said he missed the boat on the whole french imersion thing???

 

 

man he just started school like 3 years ago !!! lol hahahhahaha and you think you missed the boat??

 

there are alot of tutoring places for children at that age that parents dont' want to put in the imersion thing. check them out.

 

 

never too old or young in this case to get educated!!

[misfish]

I started playing guitar when I was 9. It kept me busy and out of trouble (mostly )

 

Me too,but couldnt stay out of trouble.

 

 

Dont force your kid to do anything.Just say, give it a try.Dont like it,hey, we,ll try something else.

My oldest took to being a goalie easy.I tried to get my eldest to do the samething.He tried it,didnt like it.No prob.Went to baseball next,both boys.Oldest excelled,the youngest,nope dont like this.Ok next was soccer.Both loved it.Finally.Takes time.

Edited October 7, 2009 by misfish

[JohnF]

For Christmas 1993 we bought the boys a Strat and a Precision bass with amps. What they did with 'em was up to them. Steve never got to use his Strat but Matt did okay. Never had any formal lessons, just worked it out by himself.

 

My brother, who's a strong enough rock musician (back in the day) to be critical, says he's impressed with what Matt accomplished. This link has a few cuts of Matt playing the bass in his old band. When the NYC label signed 'em to a contract they said they'd they would market them as Cosmic Country genre. The boys had never heard of that one and hadn't thought of themselves as a country band but figgered what the hey.

 

http://www.myspace.com/frontierindexband

 

I thought you might get a kick out of hearing what can evolve from nothing but encouragement.

 

JF