There's a different between encouraging and "pushing." Pushing for me anyway involved a lot of angry words and guilt laid upon me from my parents, mostly my mother. There was never any room for experimentation it was always "black and white" and for me...well my world has ALWAYS been grey.
If my daughter is interested in a sport or learning an instrument...it will be a requirement for me that she stick with it for the year and if she decides she is no longer interested after a year, then she can quit. I was never given the option of quitting or the option of experimenting with the music. For me...music was painful to my ears if a wrong note was played. I'd be sitting at a concert and a wrong note would just sound like nails scratching on a black board. I couldn't even stand my own wrong notes so I was quite the perfectionist and would get very angry with myself if I made mistakes...I didn't need anyone else breathing down my neck telling me about mistakes I made...particularly since my mother had no clue how to play the piano.
Interesting, as my childhood was the exact opposite. I was never pushed. I was never "forced" or even encouraged (I like that by the way, it's so true - there being a difference) to stick with something. As a perfectionist by nature, if I felt it was too difficult, I quit (even if it was something I could do). And my parents said ok. And now, as an adult, I have to force myself NOT to quit (especially in the workforce having mouths to feed). I settle for MUCH less than what my potential is. I talk myself out of anything and everything that requires a wee bit of effort, even though I'm perfectly capable of grabbing the bull by the horns and taking a long ride. It's why I'm at the bottom of the totem pole; it's why I'm overweight, etc. Some see it as lazy, but it's a deep rooted fear now... fear of failure, fear of success. Thankfully, I have begun a walk on a journey with DS which has helped me gain a little confidence again.
I see the SAME traits in DS6. And like you, we have told him he MUST finish a season or a year of something he tries new. If he doesn't like it, he can quit and try something else. During his very first baseball game, he missed the ball or struck out or got hit with the ball. I'm not sure which (how sad). But he decided he would just give up. I wouldn't even let him get out of the dugout. I told him he had to play the entire season. Period. And that he will not always be the best at everything. Fast forward to today, five seasons (fall and spring) later, and he's made it on the all star team. There are still kids way better than he is, but "forcing" him NOT to choose the easy way out, as I did, will hopefully start him on a path of keeping himself encouraged as well. And well, he's ok with not being the best at everything.
