Comments on: Are Your Kids Enrolled in Extra-Curricular Activities?

By: Melanie (ModernMami)

Melanie (ModernMami) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 13:47:57 +0000

@julie diaz-asper, Those type of activities are great. We’ve actually done some of those, just nothing long term like a class.

By: Melanie (ModernMami)

Melanie (ModernMami) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 13:47:15 +0000

@AnaRC, Maybe it’s a Latino thing? LOL No seriously. It’s hard to find the balance since there’s so many great activities for them to do!

By: Melanie (ModernMami)

Melanie (ModernMami) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 13:45:52 +0000

@Renee, I can definitely understand it not fitting schedules. It’s also hard to know when they’ll truly be ready for it. I don’t want to waste my money if she doesn’t receive it well, you know?

By: julie diaz-asper

julie diaz-asper — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 04:28:34 +0000

when my kids were younger we really enjoyed and it less of a commitment to do the free stuff or day stuff (library, local museum, even whole foods). the programs were great and it was less stress on all.

try your local paper for event listings.

By: AnaRC

AnaRC — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 04:17:26 +0000

Oh Melanie, our parents were the same. I learned to swim as an adult. The only extra curricular activities I did were out of my own initiative. Now with the kids, I take them everywhere. Maybe too much. Karate, Swimming, Soccer, Piano, Tennis. I’m a driver!

By: Renee

Renee — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:00:54 +0000

My son actually is not involved in any activities outside of daycare/pre-school. However, I would like to have him in music classes – in the past it just didn’t fit in our schedule. I think it is important not to over schedule young children. She has her entire life to be involved in activities. Maybe choose one or two.

By: Melanie (ModernMami)

Melanie (ModernMami) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:30:36 +0000

@pixielation, Wow! Training for the Olympics is serious business…and expensive. It’s so hard to make those decisions! Sounds like your girls are well-rounded though. I did forget to include piano lessons in my list, because that’s something we’ve mentioned too.

By: Melanie (ModernMami)

Melanie (ModernMami) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:28:58 +0000

@Nicole, I agree. I don’t want to live in the car either. One sport at a time sounds reasonable and manageable.

By: Melanie (ModernMami)

Melanie (ModernMami) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:27:56 +0000

@Evelyn, That’s so great for her! I’m sure we’ll enroll her in something, it’s just a matter of choosing which one will be first. Glad Alexandra is gaining confidence too, cause that’s so important for little girls.

By: pixielation

pixielation — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:46:29 +0000

I did extra curricular things when I was a child – ballet, little athletics, guides, flute lessons, piano lessons.

I think my mother lived vicariously through me… as she was only allowed 1 thing when she was a child.

Now both of my girls do quite a bit – ballet, drama, swimming lessons and tennis lessons. It’s hard to fit it all in.

Recently the older one was picked for diving, and we went off to crystal palace to be “tested” for it. She got through that test and offered lessons, which we ended up not doing. Even though it was subsidised, we simply couldn’t afford to pay for two sessions a week (1 in the dry diving area, and 1 in the pool). It was all about diving for the olympics, and she really really wanted to do it. The dry training area was on trampolines. I am sure it would have been a load of fun.

But in the long run, it would have been a lot of work for maybe no outcome. I don’t have any desire to push her towards being an olympian. And they said that the training as they got older would be at least 5 sessions a week. That’s the kind of thing you only decide to pursue if you have an obsessive passion about it.

I think that they should do more sport as part of the school curriculum though.

And my oldest learns the violin at school, but we pay for that the same as if it was outside the school.