Should You Limit Your Kid's After School Activities?

September 14, 2010, By Catherine Couretas 1 comment

Figuring out what your kids are interested in is one thing, narrowing down their options is another. There are so many clubs, groups and sports for kids to get involved in, it can be hard to figure out what you’ve actually got time for. But how much is too much?

Parents like to get their kids involved so they’re meeting other people and keeping them busy in a safer environment than just playing in the backyard. It’s good if you want your child to be active in the community – but don’t stretch them too thin. Each level of schooling comes with an array of possible activities, so follow these tips.

Elementary School

Elementary schools usually don’t have sports teams, but those teams are available through your city or county. The school will offer activities like the early levels of Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts as well as other clubs teachers or classes might organize. Elementary school ends later in the day than most other schools, so this is when kids are most crunched for time. It’s also the first chance you have to really get them involved and you’ll have a lot of options. Pick a couple at a time and don’t overdo it. Most importantly, let your kids have a say in what they want to do. Does gymnastics sound like more fun to them than soccer? Sign ‘em up for gymnastics.

Middle School

When they hit the sixth grade, a plethora of options become available including school sports and a wide variety of clubs, including academic ones. Whether it’s student council, the math club or volleyball, your kids have plenty to choose from. Beware – this is also the age when early morning practices and meetings begin. There may be the occasional 6 or 6:30 a.m. practice, so plan accordingly and make sure to get schedules ahead of time.

Clubs and sports outside of school become more time consuming at this point, too. Sometimes they’ll meet four or five days per week. It may be time to start narrowing down activities.

High School

Now, even more is available and school can be more stressful. Meets and competitions can take up your child’s entire evening or even their whole weekend, so they’ll have a lot more on their plate. You won’t want your kids to be overwhelmed with homework and be getting too tired even before dinner because they’ve got too much going on. If you see them dozing off on occasion or not doing well in school, it may be time to cut down on after school activities. At the same time, pay attention to their course load. If they are enrolled in a handful of advanced classes and can’t juggle their other activities as well, consider cutting back one advanced class. It’s the kind of thing that will make all the difference.

What’s key is finding out what your kids enjoy most. If they don’t like what they’re doing, you’re going to hear about it more than you’d like. And don’t let them stress – they’re young and have time to accomplish what they want, let them know that just because there isn’t time now doesn’t mean there won’t be time later.

Catherine Couretas is a freelancer at Barefoot Proximity and is a contributor to Man of the House.