boys & dancing

[1MOREPLZ]

ok...
my ex-husband who ALWAYS said..our son was NOT doing dancing is now 'pushing' our son into dancing...
Our son i think has mixed feelings about this...i think at times he DOES want to do it..but at times DOESN'T want to...
i know i definatly don't want him dancing and have said this..both the ex-husband and to son.
What would you do????

[skybie]

thats a toughie seeing as though ur son doesnt know himself what he wants to do. do u think ur ex may be trying to influence him and he feels he has to dance because dad wants him to, and he doesnt want to upset dad?
IMO i wouldnt push my kids into anything, suggest things for them to do but if they didnt like it i wouldnt make them stick with it

[Pandora]

Im with skybie - it would be easier if your son had a clear preference.
DS asks me to do dancing, but doesnt want to go if there are girls there! lol

I definitely dont agree with pushing him to go though, for any sport/activity not dancing specifically.

[Kitt3n]

what sort of dancing?

you know in many slavic countries the men used to dance in order to keep fit enough to fight off the vikings....... its not a girly thing....

but i think ultimately it needs to be his decision. can you take him to some classes to watch, or some trial classes to see if he actually likes it?

[Pretty Butterfly]

My 8yr old boy wants to learn hip hop, so I found a boys only class for him only last week... he sat in and watched and came home sooo excited, so will be starting next term.
Take him to see a class and he can see for himself what he thinks....

[1MOREPLZ]

He has trialled it once (his older sister dances at the same place he trialled it at) and was going again yesturday but then didn't go...
there are 2 other boys in the class...
it is jazz he would be doing...
ex-husband told me on sunday when he picked the kids up..and i said i already knew..i think he could tell from the look on my face and my response i was NOT impressed..he said it was to help DS with his on field performance in league...me thinks it is an excuse to get DS out of the house whilst he spends time with his new fiance...

[suse]

I think it's possible that your DS is feeling a bit torn, to be honest Kat. If he knows that you don't want him to do dancing, and your exH is telling him that he does want him to do it, then perhaps he doesn't really know what he wants to do beyond wanting to please both parents.

Did the initiative for wanting to do dancing originally come from your son, or from your ex? This might tell you whether it is something he really wants to do or not.

If he is really keen, and the reason that you don't want him dancing is because of the perception of dance being a less appropriate activity for boys (rather than purely practical reasons like cost), then perhaps you might prefer something like the Tap Pups classes if they are in your area (these are the boys tap classes run by the Tap Dogs, and are very masculine). My old boss' son does them, along with soccer and rugby, and he loves it.