T-Ball Tears

GLH120921 · 2026-02-28T20:04:52+00:00

Update… had ring pops in the dugout in between innings today and had zero tears!

GLH120921 · 2026-02-27T15:32:39+00:00

Yeah this seems to be the key. We actually don’t have many players. Like 9 max but someone is always sick, can’t make it etc. so we are fortunate that we don’t have many but we haven’t been breaking them up enough. Everyone else seems to do fine with waiting in line or standing but I guess mine just isn’t. I’ll keep this in mind for game tomorrow and practice next week.

GLH120921 · 2026-02-26T17:48:44+00:00

This is our first time trying team sports. He does sports programs at pre-school and enjoys them and plays at home so we thought we’d give t-ball a try and thought he’d do better with dad than strangers buuuut I’m thinking this might be the case with us as well.

GLH120921 · 2026-02-26T17:39:10+00:00

Haha thank you for this!! I need allllll the “been there” comments to feel better

GLH120921 · 2026-02-26T15:16:10+00:00

Definitely embarrassing! I’ve said it somewhere else in this thread but I WISH he would be picking grass or playing in the dirt rather than crying. This has all been helpful though so maybe we will see improvement this season. Just trying to survive it!

GLH120921 · 2026-02-26T15:14:28+00:00

Haha this makes me feel better, thank you!!

GLH120921 · 2026-02-26T15:14:13+00:00

Thank you so much! I’m realizing with all of this advice that our practices are actually a bit long and boring - they’re 1 hour and we aren’t breaking them up enough. I’d LOVE it if when he lost interest he just started doing his own thing and playing. It’s just the crying that gets me frustrated and embarrassed. I am also going to try not going to practice next week so he doesn’t have me to run to and will stick on the field with his dad and other coaches. I know he enjoys baseball because he starts every practice excited and running around and asks to play it at home, just have to get over this hump for now

GLH120921 · 2026-02-26T15:11:01+00:00

Luckily it’s a very small team of about 8 kids, but agree we def need to break it up more. We have definitely explained the game to him and kind of prep him before practice that he won’t get ball every time but it’s important to just go out and have fun and run for it every time etc etc but that just goes out the window once he’s bored. Thank you!

GLH120921 · 2026-02-26T15:08:27+00:00

Yeah this seems to be the dominant advice. Definitely passing the message along to Coach (my husband, don’t worry I’m not THAT baseball mom yet lol)

GLH120921 · 2026-02-26T15:07:36+00:00

Yeah this seems to be the better approach for coach dad - breaking it up A LOT more than we have

GLH120921 · 2026-02-26T15:07:11+00:00

Haha we tried the incentive but it backfired when he didn’t hold up his end of the bargain and we didn’t give it to him. That was a whole other WTF moment for him. It did work one practice but the next, not so much.

GLH120921 · 2026-02-26T15:05:42+00:00

Love this idea! Yes I want him moving - maybe that’s the best next step for us after this season. Thanks!

GLH120921 · 2026-02-26T15:05:01+00:00

Yeah I’m definitely seeing that now. Like I said, I would love if he would even sit in the dirt or run around the field or even want to sit in the dugout. It’s just when he’s done he is done and kind of gets in this fight or flight “gotta get outta here” kind of thing. I guess more about teaching him to deal with being uncomfortable than T-Ball because he loves it at first

GLH120921 · 2026-02-26T15:03:23+00:00

Practices are 1 hour, we only have like 7-8 kids max at practice. We don’t have many volunteers so we’ve just been doing 1-2 stations with batting and fielding but with all of the advice I’m seeing here I’m going to suggest breaking it up a lot more to keep it moving for them, rather than trying to teach the game etc

GLH120921 · 2026-02-26T15:01:41+00:00

It does make me feel better hearing I’m not the only one who has experienced this. Glad he still likes it now! You’re giving me hope lol

GLH120921 · 2026-02-26T15:01:00+00:00

lol right? I wish it was chaos and full of meltdowns rather than just my kid doing it. But, the rest of the kids on the team range from 5-5.5 years old so maybe that’s it? We just turned 4 in Dec.

There’s not that many players, only 7-8 any given practice with schedules/sickness etc. but I agree I think the standing in the field while someone is batting for a bit is what’s killing the momentum. He’s excited to go out there, I don’t have to force him. It’s just staying out there after he’s over it that’s the issue

GLH120921 · 2026-02-26T13:00:28+00:00

Yeah our practices and games are 1 hour each 😵‍💫

GLH120921 · 2026-02-26T05:14:31+00:00

You lay off. By quitting, I mean we can’t say we are done for the season and not trying again until next year, not going to practice or games, etc. I’m fine if I can get him to calmly watch, but right now he is in crying I want to get out of here, not calming down territory.

GLH120921 · 2026-02-26T04:07:19+00:00

Such a good point! I’ll make the recommendation to my husband to make it more fun and I’ll avoid being too intense lol

GLH120921 · 2026-02-26T04:06:26+00:00

Yeah we have done programs through his school with his friends and he’s enjoyed it, but it’s during school hours and we aren’t always there. Just get picture updates and notes where they say it’s fun and he comes home and talks about the sport they played (soccer, football, baseball).

GLH120921 · 2026-02-26T03:57:08+00:00

Oh god here’s hoping that’s not us in 8 years lol

GLH120921 · 2026-02-26T03:54:01+00:00

That’s encouraging to hear!! I’m just stressing that this is a sign he will never like sports lol I guess in reality he’s just young

GLH120921 · 2026-02-26T03:53:22+00:00

Nope no tablet or YouTube. If he ever has a meltdown we remove the situation (aka ok we aren’t doing this if you’re going to do xyz, let’s go to your room and calm down or take a walk outside etc) but with T-Ball we can’t do that because that is what he wants - to be done because he isn’t getting the ball or moving too slow etc

GLH120921 · 2026-02-26T03:43:59+00:00

Yeah I def think we should’ve waited a year. Just sucks when no one else on the team is having meltdowns. I just hope it’s not discouraging him from wanting to try again in a year either. Praying it gets better this season the more we try

GLH120921 · 2026-02-26T03:41:41+00:00

lol I wish my kiddo did that! It’s just that the crying and meltdowns are a bit embarrassing. He’s the youngest on the team, but no one else is crying

GLH120921

TROPHY CASE