Home with the Kids Newsletter September 12, 2006

The Editor's Desk - From Beneath the Clutter
Feature Article - How Many Activities Are Too Many?
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The Editor's Desk - From Beneath the Clutter

Back to school is certainly a challenge some ways. Teaching Ariel that she has to be awake and functioning so much more quickly than she's used to is a bit of a challenge. I've worked at home since before she was born, so she has rarely had to get up, get dressed and eat breakfast as quickly as she has to now. Come to that, it's been a long time since I've had to do that too.

It's good to have her back in school, though. She's adjusting nicely, even if she did complain that the class was too big (20 kids) and she wished she could have stayed with her previous teacher. I told her you almost never get the same teacher twice, so she is going to have to get used to that part

Gage is loving the extra attention while she's at school. Nothing like some uninterrupted Mommy time for a toddler. I can't easily work at that time since he really wants me to pay attention to him, so it's our playtime. It's a real treat for both of us.

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Feature Article

How Many Activities Are Too Many?

With school back in session, your kids are busy again, yet your days may not seem any easier. If you have your children in a lot of activities after school you may feel like you are still short of time to do the things you need to get done.

Even when your kids love doing a wide range of extracurricular activities, you need to keep things sane. Kids need time to be kids, even when they’re high achievers who think all the extra stuff is great.

It is very easy to make the mistake of overscheduling your child if her or she truly loves a particular activity and shows a talent for it. Maybe you can see them going on to a great career or maybe you’re just trying to make them happy.

If you think your child has what it takes to become a professional in a sport, for example, you really need to be careful about overdoing it. Your child can take an injury at a young age that will keep him or her from any professional sports career. While you don’t want to take them completely out, you do want to keep them at an age appropriate level, make sure they use appropriate safety equipment and understand that they are not yet professionals.

If an injury does occur, make sure your child sees his or her pediatrician, and follows the advice given by the doctor, not the coach.

For activities they simply enjoy, just remember that children do need down time. Activities definitely should not get in the way of academic achievement, even if it is simply that your kids are tiring themselves out by doing too much.

If my daughter had her way, at 4 years of age, she’d be in dance, gymnastics, drama, swimming, ice skating... just about anything I suggest sounds interesting to her. She’s in a one day a week dance class, and has preschool 3 days a week. I prefer to keep it to school work plus one activity. She’s happy getting to do something she loves, and neither of us is run ragged.

As she gets older, maybe I’ll consider letting her do two extracurricular activities during the school year. Can’t say for sure now. Two activities were just right during the summer (swimming lessons and drama), but I can’t see doing that during the school year at her current age. Keeping things sane also means reconsidering as kids grow and your life changes.

I’ll be the first to admit, there are a lot of things I’d love to have her learn. However, I have no intention of trying to crowd them in all at once. I’d rather have flexibility.

Not signing up for a variety of activities doesn’t mean you aren’t making the most of the options available. Head out to zoos, museums, aquariums, go camping, even amusement parks with your family. Everyone will have a lot of fun and you get some family time.

Extracurricular activities are a great way to let your child explore interests outside of what school has to offer, but too many can burn your child out on something he or she might have grown to love. Let your children be children, decide how many extracurricular activities are appropriate and leave them with time to just play.

Stephanie Foster is the owner of Home with the Kids, a resource that knows that there's more to staying home with your family than just business. For more stay at home tips, visit the site at http://www.homewiththekids.com/ and subscribe to the free newsletter.

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