I’m a father to a 7 year old and I’m wondering if my son is spread too thin with all the activities he’s involved in. Soccer, lacrosse, and all the other sports are great, but sometimes he’s just really tired, and it affects his mood. I want him to enjoy being active, but I also don’t want him to feel overwhelmed. Finding that balance between fun and rest is harder than I thought.
I totally get where you’re coming from. My son is also 7 and does basketball, swimming, and piano. There was a point when he was so tired he wanted to skip meals and was dreading practices. It broke my heart because I thought I was giving him amazing opportunities, but he was just burnt out. We took a step back and began prioritizing one or two things he really loved. We talked as a family and decided swimming and piano were his must haves and basketball took a backseat. He’s happier, more energetic, and still getting the benefits of extracurriculars without being overburdened. You’re doing great by even asking this question, balancing it all is hard!
Sounds like your son is prepping for the Olympics! Maybe let him “retire” early and enjoy the couch for a bit. 
This is such a tough spot to be in. My daughter was in a similar situation last year with gymnastics and dance. She loved both, but she was exhausted and started saying she didn’t want to go anymore. I felt so conflicted, was I helping or hurting? Eventually, I realized I needed to let her guide the decision. She chose to stick with just gymnastics, and it was like a weight lifted off both of us. The guilt is real, but you’re not alone in this.
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Maybe it’s worth looking at how your week is structured. Could he take a break from one sport this season and rotate it back in later? My son took a break from soccer for a few months, and when he returned, he was refreshed and more excited to play. It also gave us more family time, which we all needed.
We went through this with our 8 year old. Cutting back one activity made all the difference.
As a dad of two older boys, I can tell you there’s light at the end of the tunnel! When my oldest was around 7, we had him in soccer, baseball, and taekwondo. He was exhausted, and so were we. What helped was creating a weekly schedule with off days where we didn’t book any activities. It let him recharge, and he actually performed better in the sports he stayed in. Now at 12, he knows his limits and makes his own decisions about extracurriculars. Trust me, you’ll find the balance, it just takes some trial and error.
I feel this too! My son is 6 and always seems torn between loving his activities and being too tired to fully enjoy them. How do you even decide which one to drop? He insists he loves them all, but the mood swings and exhaustion say otherwise. How do you handle that conversation without upsetting them?
Thanks, everyone. It helps so much to hear that I’m not the only one figuring this out. I think I’ll sit down with him this weekend and see what he really enjoys most. Maybe scaling back for a season isn’t such a bad idea. Your suggestions about balancing activities and rest give me hope that we can make this work without sacrificing his happiness or health.
You’re not alone in this. My daughter is 9 now, but when she was 7, she was in soccer, swimming, and Girl Scouts. She was constantly tired and started getting cranky, which wasn’t like her. I realized it wasn’t about quitting everything but finding balance. We decided as a family to cut back on swimming for one term, and it made a huge difference. She had time to rest and even do nothing, which she said was her favorite part! Don’t feel guilty, you’re teaching him to listen to his body and prioritize what matters most.
With my kids, who are teens now, we learned the hard way that overscheduling can lead to burnout, not just for them but for us as parents too! When they were younger, we introduced a 1 sport per season rule. It wasn’t easy at first because they wanted to do everything, but we explained that focusing on fewer activities would let them enjoy them more and excel. Now they still play sports, but they’ve also developed other interests like art and coding because they had downtime to explore. Remember, rest is as important as activity for their development. You’re doing a great job navigating this, it’s not easy, but it’s worth it.