Extra Curricular Activities

[SageMother]

I never had my sons in organized extra curricular activities because I didn't want them indoctrinated beyond the hours they spent in school, but I know alot of people don't share my point of view.

Having said this, I wonder how many activities are too many. I have seen parents that basically don't let their children have a minutes peace or rest. They keep them as busy as they can in hopes that this will lead them being a sucessful adult. I believe it robs them of the chance to think about important life issues for themselves, and keeps them under the influence of a kinf od "herd mentality" .

At what point would you stop extra curricular activities? Would it be when the child's grades suffer because he or she is too tired? Would it be when they express their need to quit? What would your threshold be?

[blade]

I think extra curriculam clubs are a really good way for your child to socialise with the other kids and to try out new things but your totaly right, too much will effect their education. Maybe saying that as long as they get all their homework done then they can join these clubs, maybe say that they have to do an hours homework every night.

[jtee]

Our 11 year old daughter stays pretty busy during the summer with activities that she has chosen, if anything we work with her to manage\limit the things she wants to do, otherwise she would be up at 6am and going to bed midnight 7 days a week. She goes to a couple of summer camps that she enjoys, and would like to go to more, but we limit it to 2-3 each summer otherwise she would be gone the entire summer. This summer she wants to paint her room, so we are working with her on that.

[Kaytee]

I am a firm believer in extra curricular activities, but not all at once. I don't care what Nihcole decides to do, but I want her to do something, weather that be theater, band, choir, track, basketball. It doesn't matter just something. with that in mind of course if her grades were suffering we would have to reeveluate the situation. I just think that why they are young (pre-k- gredeschool age) they should have a chance to be involved in a few different things, that way when she is older she will know what she likes and what she is good at.

[tater03]

I do one sport a season and if their grades suffer I would not hesitate to pull them from the sport. Also if they say they hate something and have no desire to play I also don't force them. Bottom line school comes first in our household. But I will say that the boys have done well so far with school and the extracurricular activities and they are enjoying themselves.

[Trina]

Ditto tater03. I allow my kids to sign up for one extra curricular activity at a time. These are activities they truly want to particpate in. I've yet to make my kids get involved in something they didn't show interest in. School comes first, so if grades are suffering, extra curricular activities are the first to go. I agree with the OP that some parents schedule their kids for far too much. I don't think every free moment should be scheduled with activities. I think it's healthy for kids to learn how to keep themselves occupied in a safe, productive manner during free time. (Playing outdoors, reading, drawing, researching a topic of interest, etc.)

[bmcintyr]

I think extra curricular activities are good for the kid. I was in many sports. It was by choice. I enjoyed it, and still got my homework done.

[stepmommy0221]

We always have one sport activity per year which takes up one school night and one week end...then, since my stepson is still "new" in our neighborhood (on a full time basis whereas before he was here only every other week end) he's exploring the youth centers and the Y in our neighborhood and is trying out their week end free programs to see what he likes...but there has been a few week day practices that he has missed because his homework was not completed that night...so he knows that if his grades suffer, then he unfortunately has to forfeit that week...but since he's in a sport he loves, it's enough of a motivator to make him do well at school...

[PennQuaker09]

Well, my parents were never home so I didn't really have a choice. I took piano lessons for years. I LOVED dancing and gymnastics, but I didn't have the body to continue dancing. I should have done more than ballet. I catch myself turning out every now and then.

In high school, I would be at school until at least 4:30 or 5:00 everyday. If colleges don't see you doing something, you'll get a thin envelope!