How many activities

Ugh - it happened again - another long response from me and it got zapped - argh!!! And so my rewrite: I think it depends on the activity. With too many activities that require strict discipline, the child might get overloaded, overwhelmed, and eventually burn out. Then it would defeat the purpose of learning and having fun while doing so. Some kids can handle more than others, so it depends on the kid too. Someone mentioned above something like taking advantage that your daughter has an interest in violin now. True, but if you feel it's too much right now, then perhaps it is so. But you can keep her interested by having her attend concerts/mini concerts, watching orchestral programs/videos (even on YouTube), listening to violin music, etc. I know many parents who would say that if a kid wants to start a discipline like that, they must commit to it . . . so be sure she is indeed wanting to make that type of commitment. I'll have to see what happens when my daughter actually goes to kindergarten in the fall . . . it will be depend on what she can handle on top of a long day at school . . . plus our schedule and finances. By that time, I'll have to see what we can do for our son - as we started doing these extra activities with my daughter at that age. For the summer, my daughter is continuing to go to the Y in the afternoons (almost daily). There are many classes there - all half hour to 45 minutes - so back to back we can spend a couple hours or so there. It's not like they are super discipline classes, so she doesn't feel overwhelmed - in fact she is very physical and musical so she loves it. She's in creative movement, ballet, tap, hip hop, arts/crafts, sometimes tumbling, and soon we'll try jazz and vocal technique. I'm very thrifty when it comes to dance shoes and outfits . . . so it's not an expensive expense for us (yet). Every week we are going to a free kids time (for an hour) at our Borders bookstore (it's surprisingly structured) . . . she meets her friends there and then have mall/play area time afterwards with them. Once a week or every other week, we'll hit the ice rink as she loves skating . . . no classes or lessons - just pure skating for fun (we go last hour as it's cheaper that way). Other mornings we are free, but we'll either hang out at home or go to do something (I'm always searching for stuff kids can do). In otherwords, we keep our days packed (for now) because believe me, our daughter needs it and loves it!

Extra curriculars are sometimes tough on little ones. It really depends how old she is. I feel that you should let her choose her own extras as it may be tough on her if you give her something she does not like. I was part of a swim team when I was little and I loved it. I had to swim for 2 or 4 hours a day, but it wasn't that hard on me because that was the only extracurricular besides piano class that I had. By the way, I hated piano because it was boring sort of.

hi dorannmwin I am way past that stage but I can see both sides and think she will have plenty of time for all the things she becomes interested over the next few years so why try to do every thing at' once. I mean you have to consider you own time and you other child 'and you say you are babysitting two others.Seems to me she has her calendar pretty well filled up for now. she does need some time in between just to be a kid too. So why does she not just stick to what she is doing now so that you will all have time to do the things you need to do and those you want to do?

I can't get my oldest to be interested in ANY activities. The two little ones want to start something with music. Cary can start with band when school starts, but Naomi wants to take lessons away from school. Thing is, she wasn't practicing when she was in band, so I doubt she will practice with private lessons, but we need to have a talk with her... Anyway, even two per kid would be too much for me, but then that's times 3 children...

I don't like to see kids involved in too much at once. I understand wanting to introduce them to different things, but I also think kids need time to just be kids. To just play without structure. It seems a lot of parents want their kids involved in so many things as a way of getting the kids out of mom and dad's hair.. you know? My kids only do 1 thing at a time, if that.. because I can't really afford a lot. Though even that seems too much for us. In the fall my oldest is in football, my daughter is in dance, and my 7 year old son is in soccer... and that gets crazy!!

Personally I think you should allow her to learn whatever she wants to learn. This is because she might not have the interest to learn it later and you will lose the opportunity to make your child have a new skill. If the load is activities is tiring your child, she will herself stop one of the not so interesting activity. But trust me they have enough energy and should be allowed to absorb as much as they want to because as they grow older you get problems of both time and decreased mouldability(invented that word myself- hope you understand that:-))

I actually do not have my daughter in any extracurricular activities. I feel like while shes at school all day I dont get to see her so when shes home from school its my time to spend with her. If she goes and does an after school sport its less time that I will get to spend with her. She really wants to be in girl scouts so I am debating on possibly allowing her to join that next year although I am nervous about it. She will be 7 by then.

My husband and I agreed that when our kids start getting involved in activities that it would be no more than one activity at a time per child. So far my daughter has been in gymnastics in the winter time. Even though she only went one night a week, I could tell it was enough for her. We know of some people who have their kids in so many sports, etc. that they are never home. The weekends are totally packed and they never get to do what they really want. I can't tell you how many times their kids have told me "I hope it rains" so that one of their games gets cancelled. Kids get burned out just like adults.

A child that is kept busy will not be bored but it is easy to get them over extended. To me it's a matter of what they are interested in and how much I could afford to spend of each child. When I say afford to spend I mean time as well as money.

I remember seeing a television documentary some time back and it focused on parents who introduced their children to multi-tasking at quite an early age! There were good points as well as bad points being discussed and it was really interesting, a real eye opener! I guess the good thing about introducing children to different interests at such an early age is the fact that they are given the opportunity to become an all rounder as I like to describe them! They are placed into environments way out of their comfort zone and they learn how to adapt and become comfortable with that environment. I guess it's better for children to be doing this rather than hanging around on street corners as some like to do! Some would argue the point that if children are taking part in so many extracurricular activities then they are kind of missing out on their childhood! I don't agree with this! I believe in the idea of progression and growth and if a child is introduced to this at an early age then it can only be a good thing. Obviously I'm responding to this discussion objectively as I don't have any children myself and therefore I don't know about the hardships involved in raising children. I have great admiration for those that take on this responsibility. I'm guessing that by the time the child reaches his or her teenage years then they will be more than able to deal with the world around them as a result of receiving very early learning in the form of extracurricular activities. Andrew

My younger brother who is 9 does so much including many sports, swimming, scouts, music etc. It is true that he gets bored easily though he also gets very tired and angry and says that he is doing too much though trying to convice our mum is another matter. When I was younger finances were different for my mum though i did do a few things - played instruments at school, brownies and swimming and sometimes after school sports though not nearly as much as my brother and I was happy doing it. I think it all depends on how the child is. You can only but try if they ask to do something though if it becomes too much then be prepared to let them drop an activity.

I only have one child left in full-time compulsory school and as she has Aspergers Syndrome, she doesn't really do after-school activities. But when my older daughters were younger, they had time doing gymnastics, ballet, tap dancing, Rainbows, Brownies and some other shorter lived interests. I think it is good for them to try as many activities as they want to try, but only as many as Mum or Dad wants to take them to, or I know they end up being the family taxi every night!!

just lets her doing what she wants, it will improve her skills and made her dicided laterwhat she wants

As a (slightly lazy) child (16 year old) myself, I think that you should allow her to do as she pleases, as long as she is responsible about what she has made a commitment to. I know people in my school that attend to three or maybe even four extra-curricular activities, and this being during school. It's rare that a kid will want to go for so many things at a time, or at least it is in my neck of the woods. Therefore, as long as you can support her (probably worth more than the money that might be spent in the activities) allow her to do it.