If you could only choose one or the other for your child would you put your child in an organized sport or in music lessons? Which do you think is more beneficial to the development of your child?
Lets assume a few things:
I’ll post my opinion later but I would like to hear what others have to say first.
That’s kind of hard. I’m a musician, but athletic (at least I was in high school, before I got lazy and fat; still got the muscles under there somewhere). I really can’t imagine going through childhood without either.
I’ll lean toward music, because you can stay healthy without sports (healthier, depending on the sport), but I don’t think you can get the enrichment of music without music.
I think I’d go with a sport. Both the wife and I do some sort of sport, I swim, she runs and swims. I’m the only musician in the house and I haven’t played my trombone in years really. While I really like music and would like to play more, I think that some sort of activity is better in the long run. I think most people end up stop playing music as they get older, but plenty of people do some sort of sport.
I sure hate the initial premise of the post, that it must be one or the other, and that the child can’t be involved in both. I thinks it’s very important to be well-rounded.
But OK, I’ll play anyway.
In this scenario, for my child, I would pick music. Music was an important part of my growing up, and I was a music education major in college. If my kid were a part of music activities, I would naturally be a lot more interested, helpful, and supportive of what they were doing, because I understand it all. By helping to foster a love of music (and participating in music), my kid and I will have a common interest throughout our lives. If my kid were exclusively into sports, we wouldn’t have the same connection.
I’d compromise and pick dance.
Music, because I don’t want to have to attend the kid’s games. 
Recitals, though – that’s another painful experience.
I like Annie Xmas’s answer, so will ditto that: Dance.
It would depend on what the child wanted. Honestly, I can’t believe that I’m the first one to mention that. 
If the child wanted both, that would be a toughie. I’d have to let him or her choose, but I’d lean towards music, on the grounds that you can get exercise without participating in a ‘sport’.
I like the idea of dance, though; it’s almost gymnastics.
I have 2 kids, and I let them choose. If cost were not an issue and they could only choose one or the other, it would still be their choice.
I think it should be the kids’ choice, because as my sister’s family shows – not everyone is created equally. My sister is a great musician (it runs in our blood, trust me), her daughters both are very musically inclined, but her son? It is to laugh. The boy couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket if his life depended on it, but he is a phenomenal athlete. His music is in his athletic ability. If she had chosen for him, she would have chosen music and he would have missed what he could have achieved.
Just my observations…
Ideally both, but if i have to choose I will go sports for the exercise angle in addition to the learning to play well with others angle. Team building is a valuable skill in lots of job situations.
If I have to pick one, I pick Music because it is more important to me than Sport is.
I think it’ll be more obvious as they get older. My youngest, who’s 1 1/2, loves to play catch and has a pretty good arm, may prefer sports more when he’s bigger. It’s entirely up to them. I didn’t when I was young, but I didn’t have the athleticism or motivation to be sporty.
Would swimming lessons be considered a sport for this thread? If so, I’d choose sports because knowing how to swim is an important skill imo. If not, I’d go with music. The kid could get plenty of exercise bike riding, swimming and just running around.
You get as much team building experience, if not more, in most musical pursuits. There are soloists, of course, but even the most talented soloists almost always are involved in ensembles, in which working well with others is critical to success.
I would find out what they wanted to do and encourage that.
If I had to be the one picking, I would pick music. I never played sports, don’t watch sports and wouldn’t be able to help them out much. I’d rather they be doing something that I have an interest in as well and could be involved.
I let my kids decide for themselves. My son is currently in Little League. My daughter tried Flute and did not like it. She tried Fencing and liked it a lot and was very good at it. I am waiting to see what she wants to try next. I do have some hopes she will take another class of fencing or choose another instrument or maybe even go out for a school sport.
I try to encourage them at whatever they want to do. I was out last night trying to teach my son how to hit and throw.
For what it is worth, I would love nothing better than for one of my kids to excel and baseball and go on to a pro-career. I will not push them at it and it is not very likely.
Jim
Add my vote to “let the kid chose.” He’s old enough to make his own decisions about is interests and hobbies, for the most part. My only input would be to encourage him to follow through with it. If he picks piano lessons, stick it out for a period of time. If he picks little league, don’t qit because you aren’t the star center fielder. I’m of the opinion that these things at this age teach responsibility and dependability more than skills. He’d have a responsibility to hold up his end of the deal, no matter how difficult someting gets, and he’d have other kids depending on him to a degree to do his part.
I’d also make him take spelling lessons. My folks never pushed me on that, and look how I turned out.
Bolding mine.
…and they got drafted by the Mets or Red Sox?
A couple of people have mentioned asking the child. I don’t think that’s a good idea, because peer pressure would usually make sports the winner.
I’d start music lessons (let the kid pick the instrument). If, after six months the kid doesn’t like it, won’t practice, etc., I’d drop it and offer up sports.
Sports are okay, but a lot of coaches are jerks. And parents can be even worse. The pressure on the kid can become ridiculous. So you have to be very careful, and keep an eye on what’s going on.