Photo: Miki Sato
?Yes?

Johanna Braden, mom of three
Teamwork. Perseverance. The joy of accomplishment. That thrill from moving your body in tandem with others. Who doesn?t want this for their kids" My son was going to learn all these lessons early and well.
And yet there he was, for the millionth Saturday in a row, standing stone-faced on the soccer field, refusing to move even when the ball was at his feet and other kids were screaming at him. ?You can make me come here,? he said, ?but you can?t make me try.?
“I can too make you try!” I thought. “I can take away your books, your toys, your special cuddle time at night. I can shut down your world until your stubborn spirit is broken! This is not a family of quitters!” I didn?t say this. Instead, I took a deep breath. Then another. I was basically hyperventilating when I decided there is a difference between quitting and choosing your battles. Successful, happy people know when to let go and move on.
Other than swimming lessons, I?ve made peace with the idea that my son can quit activities he doesn?t like. On bad days I think I should be firmer: We spent money! We invested our time! Other kids are getting ahead! But when I took a hardline stance against quitting activities, our kid balked at starting activities. When we let quitting be an option, he felt cheerier about giving new things a try. Once the pressure was lowered, he enjoyed sampling different hobbies.
My son is still not much of a jo...