Son's Attitude About Things

This sounds like he's anxious about leaving home but is OK once he gets there. Sort of like stage fright, perhaps. I don't know how to deal with it, tho I'd continue taking him and would sign him up for next year. I think it's a good lesson to learn that you go even tho it's difficult.

Perhaps try not getting involved in his behavior before leaving. Absolutely do not try to talk him out of his bad mood. Totally ignore his bad mood. He may be doing this to get attention. Follow a routine in an indifferent manner.

My grandson is this way about going to school every day and other times when he doesn't want to stop what he's doing. He has difficulty with transitions and we're told it's normal for kids with sensory issues.

Well if it makes you feel any better, my mom says I was the same way when I was young, she would say it is a beautiful day and she says I would snarl no it isn't...she says if she said the sky was blue I would argue = ) And yes apparently I was a joy once I got to school...my mom still tells the story of a parent teacher conference she had when she literally asked are you sure you are talking about my daughter?
I know it is unpleasant. I would say lots of patience and make sure he is getting enough sleep. We are all unique individuals...heck I am still Not a morning person = )

Some people, especially kids who don't understand time and schedules very well are really bad with transitions. My 5 year old is like this too. It can be a battle to get him out of the house for anything, even things he likes. It is worse when he is tired. Sometimes it helps to give him a few warnings (10 minutes, 5 minutes before, 1 minute before). I hate the battles and I think he does too but sometimes we just need to get going without much extra time to dawdle (like school or other scheduled activities).

I'd talk to you son and see if it is the activity or the fights about getting there he dislikes. If he likes the activity then work on getting him to cooperate more in getting there. I signed my son up for soccer last fall and we ended up dropping it because of fights getting out the door. We'll try again when he is older.

My daughter is 8 and I finally sat her down and had a talk with her. I think it was in her 2nd grade classroom when she didn't want to leave AGAIN one afternoon.
When Katie is in bed, she wants to stay in bed.
When Katie is at home, she wants to stay at home (and fights going to school)
Once at school, she doesn't want to leave school, and will come up with a list of reasons not to leave (like sharpening pencils for the teachers).
Once at home, she doesn't want to go to swim practice.
Once at swim practice, she finds every reason to linger, "help" her coach with the next group...

yes, her whole day is like this, from getting into the bath, to out of the bath, to resisting bedtime.....

(And yes, she is sensitive to feelings and irritations like seams on socks.)

Once I pointed out that she struggles with transitions, and it's how she has always been.... and whatever she is doing she wants to stay doing.... she got a laugh out of it. She agreed those are her big battles, and the feelings feel very real & important at the time, but once she transitions it is okay.

Did the talk solve everything? No. But it's gotten better and more often than not I can say "Are you having a transition problem? A Katie likes to stay doing what she is doing, but you know you will get stuck in the next thing, so lets just go to it."

(and yes, we have tried to make her life structured & highly routine so it's predictable, but it just made the battles predictable. Self awareness of her quirk seems to have helped more.)

Hope this helps!

I was like that in high school. I was in colorguard in a marching band and in my city the band was everything (like drumline kinda). I choreographed some things and was saber/weapons line captain... I was the best (no joke, everyone else thought so too). But I would hate going to practice and sometimes games, but once I'm there it is an absolute blast. It's getting the motivation of not being lazy out of your system I think and actually going. Like you want to go but don't want to physically get off your keester or stop whatever your doing and actually go :P

I'm like that too. I have social anxiety to a degree... I have a really hard time leaving the house and getting prepped to go somewhere. Once I'm out, I'm usually fine, but motivating myself to go is really difficult. My 5 year old son is the same way when it comes to going anywhere and his soccer too.

My son is the same way...he is "sick" every morning and doesn't want to go to school. At parent teacher conferences we are told he is happy and seems to love school and is much sought out as a playmate.

He attends martial arts two nights a week...he NEVER wants to go and it is a battle to get his uniform on...but once he gets there he rocks the class and has so much fun. He is the highest ranked belt in his age group.

I just accept that it is the way it is for him...although the complaints make me crazy some days.

Yep! On both counts. I've not only experienced this sort of behavior in kids, but have even noticed it in myself! It isn't the activity that is the problem, but just getting up the momentum to actully go. Sometimes I plan to do something that I know I'm going to enjoy tremendously, but when it's time to get ready and go, I think "I just wish I could be there without having to get there!"
I would advise you to re-consider taking your son out of baseball. It sounds like it's something he does enjoy and is doing well at, so it seems a shame to discontinue. You might look at your routine in getting him ready for school and other activities and see if there's something you can change about that in order to motivate him more.
Is the TV on when he's getting ready for school or other activities? Maybe he's getting so interested in watching that he has a divided interest. Turn it off! Perhaps he's getting involved in playing with his toys and has trouble making that transition. Maybe some rules about when he can take out his toys would help. Whatever you can determine is causing him to have conflict in getting going, find a way to work around that conflict.
It's quite common for children to have these conflicts.. and not at all uncommon for adults to have them too.

I am reading all of your responses, with opinions that it might be anxiety issues. If so, perhaps withdrawing him from activities (like his baseball) is not the answer. Just a thought. Parenting is not always about doing the easy thing.

we just had this happen yesterday with t-ball. i know my kid loves it but just doesnt want to leave any fun he is having. i told him that if he does not want to play t-ball anymore he has to tell the coach himself. he is part of the team and he can not just abandon them without explanation. he seemed to ponder that and relax a little, then we got in the car and he was excited to go. it felt good not to just feel like i was telling him he had to do it because i said so.

my son is the same way also. my daughter, too. my son is only in preschool, and daughter in first grade, but i already have them both begging to stay home because they want to be taught at home with me. it does sound like your son has an anxiety problem. that is what it is with my son. he has OCD and he worries all the time that something is going to happen if i'm not there with him. or anywhere with him for that matter. he screams at his sister for walkiing a few feet in front of us at the store. my daughter just thinks that she is going to be missing out on something if she isn't around. when my daughter was in kindergarden she was crying by the end of the year because her teacher was a yeller. she never yelled at my daughter, but some of the other kids who were a little misbehaved. but my daughter is sensitive, too. that could be your sons problem also. i would talk to him and see what's going on. maybe not with him but with someone else that might be affecting him.

Sounds like he gets "anxious" before an event, and he just doesnt know how to channel it. I'm sure it will pass eventually. Just be patient and always give yourself enough time before you have to leave the house for him to finish his little meltdown before getting in the car. It probably triggers him when you tell him it's time to get ready to go. Figure out a way to manipulate that so he has no reason to get wild right before its time to leave.
Having a good finger food snack available while doing homework, to make it more pleasant, might be helpful.