Help him explore the reasons why. Has he truly lost interest? Or is he just frustrated because he is not making as much progress as he once did?

The latter is very common at this age. Sometimes a middle schooler’s changing body makes him feel awkward. Other times he may decide that if he can’t be the best one on the team or get the lead part in the play he would rather not participate at all.

If these are the reasons, encourage your child to stick with it. Talk about the things he loved about the activity. Remind him that many people struggled at his age, but got through it, and then did well. For example, Michael Jordan did not make the basketball team as a young teen.

Also talk with your child about what else he is doing. If he’s involved in six activities, it’s no wonder that he’s not doing as well at his favorite. He may need to drop some and concentrate on what he loves best.

Finally, ask him if he made a promise. Does the coach expect him to finish the season? Probably so. Keeping his word is another important lesson for him to learn.

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