Q: How much is too much when it comes to your kid's activities?
Are you constantly in the car, driving your three kids to two different travel sports each? Is your daughter exhausted at night after a day of school, ballet and piano lessons? Are you going to explode from the stress? Are your kids?
But are you fearful that if you don't keep up the pace in travel leagues and private lessons that your child will be left behind? Maybe you believe more is better. Or should your kids be limited to one sport/activity per season? How much is too much?
A: Tell us what you think. Join with the Grayslake Patch Moms Council in sharing your opinion. Just login in the upper righthand corner and post a comment below. It's free, it's entertaining and it's a great way to let your voice be heard.
Angela Morrey
9:55 pm on Wednesday, April 27, 2011
There is a fine line here. It's great to get your kids involved. It's important for them to be well-rounded and practice the things they enjoy. So many of the activities for kids - sports, clubs, scouts, music lessons, drama - teach such valuable lifelong lessons.
I do think some families take this to the extreme. Practice 6 days a week for a 6 year old is A LOT! Running around like crazy every night and weekend for this game or that recital is overwhelming - not only for the adult but for the kid, not to mention the rest of the family. Two seperate practices a night after an already long school day can be too much. When do kids just get to be kids anymore? When do they get their downtime?
Having said that - I realize kids today have to start at an earlier age simply because of competition. Didn't Tiger Woods start playing golf at age 2?? We're already 2 years behind! So many of the activities are so competitive, they have to be fairly 'good' to get any play time / face time, and that means they have to start younger and younger.
It is all a balance. All things in moderation - as seems to be the motto of many of these Mom's Talk topics. I do believe its important for the parents to know when to say enough is enough. Little Susie or Young Johnny may think they can play two sports, do drama, ballet and take piano lessons, but it's up to the parent to draw the line.
Bridget
11:10 pm on Wednesday, April 27, 2011
It's all just a little too much these days. I totally agree with everything that Angela is saying. We want our children to feel good about themselves and to find healthy activities that they enjoy and that will keep them interested, motivated and out of trouble. On the other hand, it can get to be too much. If each of my 4 small children are in one activity per season, am I really going to be able to get it all done each night without actual bedtime approaching midnight! Probably not but we will cross that bridge when we get there. I would like to think that I will keep my kids in one activity each season or so.