Mom Is Annoyed Her Husband Won't Play Sports with Their Son — But People Say She Should Do It Herself
A woman complained that her husband, who enjoys sports, refuses to play them with their 7-year-old son
She added that she worries her son will fall behind in athletics, which could then affect him socially
The woman shared her thoughts on a popular community forum — where a number of other parents asked why she hasn't considered playing sports with her son herselfA woman is annoyed that her husband shows no interest in playing sports with their son, and a lot of people think she should just do it herself.
The woman detailed her experience in the 'Am I Being Unreasonable?' forum on the U.K.-based community site Mumsnet.com, a place where people can go to seek parenting advice from fellow parents. In her post, the woman said that she and her husband have a 7-year-old son, and that her son doesn't show a particular 'aptitude' for sports.
'However, in seven years, [my husband] has almost never played any kind of game with him,' she wrote, adding, 'I'd like [my son] to be able to play soccer well enough to socialize. I think it's almost like a social skill for boys.'
'I don't care if he's not great, but I'd like to get him to a level where he can play,' she added.
The woman went on to explain that she's 'extra annoyed' at the moment. She said that her son had an upcoming sports day at school; instead of taking some time to help him prep and train, her husband — who she says enjoys most sports — opted to go play golf.
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'Overall, though, I'm disappointed for [my son]. I feel that other dads take so much interest in their sons' soccer, etc,' she said, adding, 'I feel like my [son] will never have the same chance as other kids because he has a lazy, disinterested dad.'
'My son is a lovely kid,' she continued. 'He's always happy, he loves a chat. I feel he'd thrive with a male role model who cared more than [my husband] does.'
A number of her fellow community members responded by asking why the woman hasn't considered playing sports with her son herself.
'Why can't you play soccer with him?' one person asked.
'Why can't you do sports with your son?' someone else added. 'Is soccer for boys and dance for girls?'
In a follow-up post, the woman explained that she simply has never been very athletic, and so she knows she's the less-qualified parent to help build her son's skillset.
'I've always been terrible at sports myself. Other than booking my son for coaching, I can't help him kick a ball around,' she said, adding, 'I also want him to have a strong male role model.'
'[My husband] did a bit more when [my son] was a toddler, but recently [he] seems to be finding himself mid-life, going to the pub a lot [and] going to play golf,' she continued.
Several other commenters pointed out that sports may not be the real problem here.
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'Sounds like it's not a sports issue — just that your husband is a s--- dad,' one person said.
Another person wrote, 'Your husband is a lazy, selfish, uninterested father. [It] doesn't even sound like he does the bare minimum.'
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