Am I the only person who doesn't have her kids in evening activities?

[Anonymous]

Just because they have "no athletic potential" doesn't mean they shouldn't be doing a sport. Sports can be fun and build character.

In some cases, yes, but if a child is uncoordinated and hates sports making them play can create insecurities, embarrassment and poor self-esteem--better that they find some other activity.

[Anonymous]

If they are over 3rd grade then yes, I think you are in the minority.

Most eople I know have their kids in some evening activity -- Scouts, sports, art, etc.

but there's nothing wrong with what you are doing if it is working for you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In this town, yes you are probably the minority. But honestly thats probably a good thing. Kids are way over scheduled now compared to when we were kids. Its funny because I grew up with a stay at home mom and she complained if ever had more than two evening activities a week! Quite frankly, spending time together as a family, eating dinner, kids learning to either play together or self entertain will probably serve them better later in life than violin, piano, soccer, t ball, etc....

Yeah, I don't know about that. I was so overscheduled that I actually had to leave one activity early one day a week (sports practice) to attend another (orchestra practice). And I had sports or music every day of the week, except for the occasional Sunday off. Then again, I was the one pushing the sport, rather than my parents.

I also had plenty of time for friends and family. I think having so many activities just made me better at getting done what needed to get done, which is a great skill to have going into college and the workforce.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:9 yr old and 13 yr old - NO ACTIVITIES....yet. Starting swimming soon. And when they do have activities it's only one each.

Dinner as a family is very important, and I refuse to be one of those maniac moms that drives like a bat out of hell to get my kids from one activity to the next. It's not good for anyone involved.

+1

[Anonymous]

Our only evening activity has been Girl Scouts. We only have our evening meetings once every 2-3 weeks.

My 5th grader goes to after care after school. After picking her up, all we have time for is homework, dinner, shower and a little down time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Just because they have "no athletic potential" doesn't mean they shouldn't be doing a sport. Sports can be fun and build character.

In some cases, yes, but if a child is uncoordinated and hates sports making them play can create insecurities, embarrassment and poor self-esteem--better that they find some other activity.

The "uncoordinated" kids I knew growing up seemed to gravitate toward cross country running. Physical activity is important to a healthy lifestyle, so I do think it's a little odd to say a young kid has no athletic potential and just give up.

[Anonymous]

I posted just recently about getting home from work with DS at 7pm. There is no time for evening activities.

[Anonymous]

I have an almost-4-year-old and we haven't done evening classes yet. She takes several classes during the day at preschool and typically one class on weekends. (gymnastics, soccer, swimming, etc.) I imagine that in a few years, we'll start doing evening classes.

I like our evenings the way they are right now. We walk to the park, get dinner, chill out.

[Anonymous]

When all of you are talking about "evening" activities, what time frame do you have in mind? When I hear "evening," I think "from 6 pm to 9 pm." Are elementary kids really, say, taking gymnastics and playing violin at 7:30 pm? (if so, I'm curious where you live.)

My own kid takes lessons in 2 instruments and does an animation class -- but this occurs "after school" between 3 and 5.

[Anonymous]

Lots of evening activities here but it's because they are all parent led or parent coached activities (primarily scouts and soccer but other things occasionally) and the parent leaders/coaches have day jobs. This is for an older kid. I think we started with evening soccer and scouts in 1st grade. We still try to have dinner together most nights even if it's 9 pm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Frankly I don't have the energy to take them. The playdate from time to time is enough for me and they haven't requested evening acitivites. We have dinner together. I occasionally have to work in the evening or attend a PTA meeting, but usually we have dinner together and unless DH is late it includes him. We let them watch TV (hanging head in shame) as long as homework is complete and they hang out. They go to bed early and rise early so there's only so much time.

Am I in the minority?

Like many others we vowed not to over schedule our kids ...but when your kids writes in home journal how much they love gymnastics and girl scouts ...and you want to make sure they can swim since it is a life skill ..already that's three activities. We try to balance so we have free time on the weekends so we can go to birthday parties, take the kids to the county fair, go out on scooters etc.

Being completely honest, when we didn't have the kids in activities during the week, we didn't do much more than dinner as a family, homework, and tv and possibly iPad games. There was no playing board games, taking the kids outside to play etc, because we were more likely to end up staying at work longer and just getting home in time to get done what we needed to 5:30 for DH, 6:30 for me) and by the time we got thru dinner and homework, kids taking bath and preparing for the next day, we were tired and wanted to get the kids to bed so DH and I could have our time. We would have to get home a lot earlier to really have time for fun, quality time. So due to bad scheduling karma this session, I find the kids have several weekday activities that require me to get up earlier (and I'm not a morning person) so I can get in earlier. I leave on time (well actually working slight overtime each day because I arrive earlier), we eat dinner earlier as a family, the kids get to do something fun once or twice during the week, they are motivated to get homework done at aftercare, it's easier to get them in bed on time because everything has started earlier and they get to sleep earlier.

If you aren't in a situation to do activities, that's one thing. I just remember growing up and never being able to participate in anything during the week unless I had transportation because my parents had long commutes to work. Yes, we ate dinner as a family but I don't remember having fun quality time during the week with my family when we were eating at 7 and had to be in bed by 9. I always hated listing my hobbies because the only hobby I could have for a long time was reading. I also found it was intimidating picking up a new sport or activity when other kids had been playing longer, had gone to clinics and sports camps etc. So basically I wanted to either be in a position that I work a part-time schedule so I can pick the kids up early enough that we have time for us to go to the park, play monopoly or do something fun where they get our undivided attention OR have a full-time schedule with enough flexibility that my kids can participate in atleast one thing during the week that they really want to do that they wouldn't get to do otherwise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Just because they have "no athletic potential" doesn't mean they shouldn't be doing a sport. Sports can be fun and build character.

In some cases, yes, but if a child is uncoordinated and hates sports making them play can create insecurities, embarrassment and poor self-esteem--better that they find some other activity.

The "uncoordinated" kids I knew growing up seemed to gravitate toward cross country running. Physical activity is important to a healthy lifestyle, so I do think it's a little odd to say a young kid has no athletic potential and just give up.

I agree

[Anonymous]

OP, as someone whose parents never bothered with after school activities, I would suggest that you should enroll them in something. Just one thing they can do a few times a week is totally fine, no need to go overboard.

It helps fuel the imagination and develop the mind and allows them to build other interests. I totally stunted my potential because, as a kid, all I did was come home, do homework and watch TV. As an adult, I don't know how to do *anything*, not good at sports, music, nothing. Hell, I learned how to swim as an adult.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Just because they have "no athletic potential" doesn't mean they shouldn't be doing a sport. Sports can be fun and build character.

In some cases, yes, but if a child is uncoordinated and hates sports making them play can create insecurities, embarrassment and poor self-esteem--better that they find some other activity.

The "uncoordinated" kids I knew growing up seemed to gravitate toward cross country running. Physical activity is important to a healthy lifestyle, so I do think it's a little odd to say a young kid has no athletic potential and just give up.

I agree

I also agree. My oldest son hates team sports but LOVES tennis, golf and swimming. He did track over the summer for the first time and enjoyed that too. Surprisingly he is playing flag football right now-bc he likes to run and grab flags. My other son loves martial arts and is progressing quickly-although he plays anything. Our third boy is a thug so more typical boy. At the very least, sports like tennis, golf, running and swimming are activities kids can continue into adulthood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When all of you are talking about "evening" activities, what time frame do you have in mind? When I hear "evening," I think "from 6 pm to 9 pm." Are elementary kids really, say, taking gymnastics and playing violin at 7:30 pm? (if so, I'm curious where you live.)

My own kid takes lessons in 2 instruments and does an animation class -- but this occurs "after school" between 3 and 5.

I was thinking the same thing. Evenings would be a bit much, but we do swimming lessons, ballet and gymnastics after school. Soccer on the weekends.