Once upon a time, when you got home from school you did a little bit of homework before being unleashed on the street to play with your neighbours. If you were lucky you might have a piano lesson once a week, or play football for the local club. But for the most part, kids amused themselves.
But since the mid-90s, there has been an exponential surge
in after-school activities, and also pressure on parents to make sure their
kids are exposed to just the right amount of everything – music, sport,
language, art… the combinations are endless. Hearing that little Annie takes
French conversation classes on Monday, guitar on Tuesday, football on
Wednesdays and Saturdays, karate on Thursday and drama class on Friday is
enough to make any parent worry that they’re not giving their kids the best
opportunities.
So here are five tips to remember when it comes to selecting
what after-school activities are best for your family.
1.
What does your child want to do?
This is the most important consideration – are they
interested in music and show an aptitude or is it just a thing that’s “good”
for them? There is a fine line between encouraging and enforcing an activity.
For instance, learning to swim or taking part in some kind of exercise is
fairly essential to leading a healthy life, but make sure that the particular
sport works for your child. Team sports are good, but perhaps more individual
pursuits like athletics suit your child. You may have to try out a few options
before hitting on the right one.
2.
Time for unstructured play is important
Being stimulated by after-school activities is great, but
time to experiment, play videogames, get bored, watch TV, be alone and read are
also important for kids’ development. Too much structure could lead to kids
being unable to come up with ways to amuse themselves, and a decrease in
ability to take initiatives on their own. So don’t overload the schedule too much.
3.
Budget
Some activities are simply going to cost a lot more than
others. Horse-riding: expensive
activity. Swimming: cheap activity. Think about hidden costs like getting to
and from the activity (are there distant away games for sport), uniforms,
specialist gear, musical instruments.
4.
Scheduling
Don’t forget that you yourself will usually have to juggle
drop-offs and pick-ups. Look at what each of your kids are doing and make sure
that timings work. Consider signing your kids up for activities that friends do
to maximise car-pooling potential, or start a car-pool with other parents whose
kids also participate.
Remember that when considering after-school opportunities
there is no right or wrong way to do things, as long as your child is getting
something enjoyable out of their activity.
What after-school events do your kids participate in? Do you
feel pressure to sign them up for lots of activities?
Vivienne Egan writes for Baker
Ross the arts and crafts suppliers
Comments
Post a Comment
I love comments and will try to respond to all