After School Activities - How much is too much?
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by: wahmbuddy
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After School Activities – How Much is too Much?
It seems in today’s society the term “overscheduled child” is common. What is more common is that children’s time is being scheduled for them from dawn until dusk. They have no free time to just be kids. Co-curricular activities can be valuable to children, but how much is too much?
Well let’s take a look at the pro’s and cons for a minute:
Pros
1. Exercise – It’s a well-documented fact that children are not getting enough physical activity. Joining an after school sport such as volleyball, dance or skating is a great way to help kids stay active.
2. If the activity is a positive experience it can do a lot to help a child’s self-esteem.
3. Organized events are a good way for kids to meet new friends and develop social skills.
4. Having some amount of co-curricular activity does look good on a resume when trying to get into schools, or advance in life.
Cons
1. No time for kids to just be kids. It is very important that children have time to run, play and use their imagination. We sometimes tend to forget that this is an essential part of child development as well.
2. Children are feeling stressed and pressured by being constantly on the go and not having time to just be. They are feeling pressure from parents to be all they can be. They are feeling pressure from the activity to be the best and keep up with other members of the group.
3. If the activity is a negative one, it can crush the child’s self esteem. We always try to set kids up for a positive experience. If they feel like we as parents are forcing them into something that they don’t want to do the positive can turn into a negative very quickly.
4. Family Time – What happened to the family meal? How many times do you eat a sit down meal around the kitchen table with your whole family present each week? This is something that should not be missed. It is a time of bonding and sharing with kids and parents. Ten years ago families always ate the evening meal together, now it seems to be something that can be cut in favor of more activities. Bad move – families need that time to connect.
5. Free time with friends. This needs to be part of the “schedule”. It’s an important part of growing up. A good slumber party for a 10-year-old girl is something that will be in her memory forever.
To sum up, it is good to have our kids in after school activities. This can be a very positive experience if it approached correctly. Excellent for providing physical activity and socialization. As with everything in life, it’s all about balance. Too much of a good thing is not good. Try and put your children in one or two activities and see how that works for them. Give them time to be kids, and don’t sacrifice family time in favor of overscheduled, over stressed children.
About the Author
Heather Masson is a successful work at home mom of two wonderful boys. She has had ten years experience in dealing with the special needs of children. You can view her website at http://homewithheather.com
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