We all want what’s best for our children, but it can be difficult to know when and how much to push them to experience new things; consider these:

Know your child

All the fun and wonderful memories from your own childhood that you want your child to experience may actually just be too much for them. Take a good look at your child’s personality and understand what their interests are, removing your own wants for them. Pushing them into sports when they don’t like anything about sports won’t be the best plan. Try to disregard what motivates you and really focus on what motivates them.

Start off small

You’ll know by trial and error what your child is ready for. If you’re not sure if they’re ready yet for a big commitment, explains journalist Katherine Martinelli, try something small. For example, instead of a camp that lasts the entire length of summer, try a week-long summer camp or even a day-camp. You’ll want to give them a taste and introduce them to small, positive experiences and then reward them for trying something new.

How to help

If your shy child is nervous about joining a sports team, experts advise easing them in, so they aren’t thrust into an anxious situation. Before the league begins, get your child comfortable with the atmosphere, take them to meet with the coach and visit the area where practices will be held. You can also ease their apprehension by offering them a trial period and they can reevaluate after a few weeks.

What is pushing too hard?

As Martinelli discovered, there is such a thing as pushing your child too hard. And if your kid “becomes too distressed or shows dysfunction,” you’ve likely gone too far. An example of this is pushing them to experience something that they are afraid of i.e. a child wanting to avoid going to a birthday party because he’s afraid of clowns and if you force them to go and he cries the entire time, you’ve likely pushed too hard.

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source: childmind.org