TBH I had mixed emotions about this race.
When I signed up for it in the spring, l imagined us doing regular training sessions over the summer, preparing step by step. But, of course, summer got busy... and we didn't train nearly as much as I had hoped.
Then just last week, when I brought up the need for some practice runs, * looked at me and said, "I don't want to do this race."
SOUND FAMILIAR?
She had the SAME reaction in the middle of her booth project in the summer. But no, I didn't remind her of that moment. I kept quiet.
But inside, I was super annoyed.
Let's backtrack a little...
Before signing us up for the 5k, I googled whether it was safe for kids her age to run a 5k race. I came across recommendations that said a minimum age of 8 was fine, but there wasn't a lot of solid science behind it.
It seemed like one of those things: it's ok if you train right, don't overdo it, and there's adult supervision.
So when she said she didn't want to do it, I questioned myself:
Am I pushing her too far?
Am I crossing her physical limits?
And then I asked myself the big question:
Why did I want her to run in the first place?
Was it because I wanted her to be physically active? Was it the idea of building up a lifetime of coping strategies that running can provide? Or maybe I wanted her to learn the importance of perseverance.
---
What would you do if you were in my shoes: when your child suddenly doesn't want to continue something you signed up for together?
Would you push them to keep going, or let them take a step back?
Kommentare