What age to start putting kids in activities such as soccer or ballet?

[Anonymous]

Don’t stress about the availability of all the baby classes. They are mostly ways for moms or nannies to have something to break up the day, get their kids out of the house, meet fellow moms/nannies with similar age kids. You can do some (and I personally enjoy having a few such things on the calendar) but you don’t have to take which ones or when too seriously.

My kid started developing some actual semblance of an interest in certain activities around 4.

[Anonymous]

We did soccer at 5. Mostly for running around and learning to pay attention to directions before K. Music will start at 6. We did gymnastics at 4 pre covid but it was tough.

[Anonymous]

None of your snowflakes will be any good by pushing them at such young ages

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:None of your snowflakes will be any good by pushing them at such young ages

My snowflake actually became a professional ballet dancer and started ballet at 2.5. When a child loves an activity, there is no pushing.

[Anonymous]

Started soccer this year. Son is 4 and daughter is 2. Daughter loved it and will continue. Wasn’t my son’s cup of tea so not forcing him.

[Anonymous]

Just signed up our 17 mo for swimming and he will do soccer next ; mostly just to get him out of the house and socialize with other kids since he’s home all day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I tried a mommy and me creative movement class at Dance Place when DD was 2 since she seemed to enjoy yoga at daycare. She was wayyyyyy more interested in being the class clown, but other kids, including some younger than her, were fully participating and having a lot of fun. She's 4 now, still the class clown, and has been asking about ballet. We're going to try daddy and me ice skating instead.

Why aren't you doing ballet?

[Anonymous]

We did some baby movement classes starting at six months because I wanted to meet mom friends and have something to do on days I was off. Then we started swim lessons at 17 months although that was purely for safety. Then when the kids were 3 and 5 we put them in dance to see if they'd like it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're doing a music together class for our almost 3 year old because we want more socialization exposure. It's not really for skills development.

All the music together classes I went to, you sat in a circle. No socializing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Only start young if it's convenient and a fun activity for YOU. Keep the focus and fun and socialization rather than skill.

I had friends stressed about taking their toddlers and preschoolers to a zillion activities. Their calendars were so busy and they were always running around. We did nothing other than lots of free play until starting one organized activity for each kid in first grade. Parents taught swimming and bicycle. By late elementary school, kids asked to add or switch to another sport or dance.

Now that the kids are in middle school, there is zero difference in skill level for most things for the early starters compared to the late starters. It's important to stay active, but kids build more social skills if they get to self direct activities and learn how to problem solve in kid-led environments. I'd recommend a free and convenient neighborhood playgroup over an expensive series of classes for those reasons.

+1 still no organized activities for us with a 4 year old and 6 month old, with two working parents and daycare I like our weekends to be less structured and don’t want to have to be rushing my kid off somewhere. Can totally understand doing it if you stay home or have a nanny. But kids really don’t need it at that age (and for some kids it can be too much). Generally trying to limit doing too many activities is a goal for us based on what we’ve heard from parents of older kids.

My friend has a 13 yo and a 9 yo. She never did any activity for them and honestly they seem a bit lost now. She said the 13 yo boy doesn’t have friends to hang out with bc the friends all have organized sports. I’d say by 6 or 7 start exploring what they like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're doing a music together class for our almost 3 year old because we want more socialization exposure. It's not really for skills development.

All the music together classes I went to, you sat in a circle. No socializing.

Well she is 2 so she doesn't really make small talk lol. It's really about being around other kids and adults. She loves to watch other kids and do what they do.

[Anonymous]

We started swim lessons around 3 for my oldest, plus signed him up for a multisport class through Montgomery County rec (Coach Doug I think was the name). That was actually a fun activity at that age because it was low key and they get to try different sports. It was winter and I had just had baby #2 so it was a good way to get him out of the house for a bit. He started t-ball at 5.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Only start young if it's convenient and a fun activity for YOU. Keep the focus and fun and socialization rather than skill.

I had friends stressed about taking their toddlers and preschoolers to a zillion activities. Their calendars were so busy and they were always running around. We did nothing other than lots of free play until starting one organized activity for each kid in first grade. Parents taught swimming and bicycle. By late elementary school, kids asked to add or switch to another sport or dance.

Now that the kids are in middle school, there is zero difference in skill level for most things for the early starters compared to the late starters. It's important to stay active, but kids build more social skills if they get to self direct activities and learn how to problem solve in kid-led environments. I'd recommend a free and convenient neighborhood playgroup over an expensive series of classes for those reasons.

I coached for quite a while. There is definitely a difference with early vs late starters in a lot of sports. Starting late matters so parents should keep in mind if they are ok/just looking for a more recreational experience vs competition-oriented. I firmly believe that all children have potential and private lessons can train up everyone to a reasonable level but prior experience does play a part technically as well as prior conditioning. I would not start as late as middle school for something like most dance and gymnastics without accounting for private lessons to catch up. Martial arts, fencing, volleyball are all fine later as is rowing. I would do soccer earlier, too.

There needs to be a balance in time spent in organized activities and free play. Don't overschedule and turn your child into a neurotic mess who can't self-direct, either. Keep it fun. Cross-training is important, too, so don't get locked into just one sport early.

[Anonymous]

When your kids are capable of listening to someone other than you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When your kids are capable of listening to someone other than you.

That’s how they learn, doing the early classes where parents are involved (mommy and me dance, swim, lap sit story time).