My daughter asks to start activities when friends join and then questions her choice when their schedules change. I want her to know it is okay to like an activity on her own. But I am also not going to insist she remain forever just because we paid. How do you discuss that distinction without making the friendship part seem unimportant?
We ask what she would want if the friend were not enrolled. The answer can be surprisingly clear.
That is a kinder question than saying she is copying someone.
Sometimes the answer is that the friendship mattered most this month. That can still be a real answer.
Sometimes the social part genuinely is the main attraction, and that is okay to acknowledge.
I need to hear that. The friends are part of why she enjoys going; that does not make the activity fake.
A trial period may reveal whether the child likes the activity independently.
A trial would also let us talk about the activity itself without mentioning the other child every time.
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