At what age do you invest in your child extracurricular activities such as traveling with team

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids have done a lot of different activities. When they have done sports (hockey and baseball) and pushed themselves to make it to a higher (travel) level, we have supported their efforts and their gradually increasing level of commitment. I had one child who did dance, and honestly, I felt like this activity was unlike all the others in that the expectation of travel came from the very beginning. My DD was average at dance, but we were expected to travel by plane across the country to competitions and showcases. This was in her very first year. (And only year, honestly because there is no way I was comfortable spending that kind of money on an activity that she had not really worked her way up in.)

For my sports kids, we have never had to travel by plane for competition. We have gone several hours away by car for tournaments, but this is after several years of playing and working to higher levels.

If it seems crazy, it probably is.

You picked the wrong dance studio.

The vast majority of dance schools, even the best ones, do not do what you describe.

I would run from a studio that required that kind of commitment. They are having you spend your money in the wrong place.

[Anonymous]

At what age do you invest in your child extracurricular activities such as traveling with team

Never. We like to not have our vacations beholden to the travel schedule.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

At what age do you invest in your child extracurricular activities such as traveling with team

Never. We like to not have our vacations beholden to the travel schedule.

What kind os sports do you think allow you not to travel?

Were taking 3.5 weeks off this summer for Australia. We always travel for a week at Christmas and the week of spring break.

So for planned vacations, we already have on the books 5.5 weeks and two kids in travel sports.

[Anonymous]

My kids wont be participating in anything that requires overnight travel. I am fine with optional camps/trips that are supplemental to the sport/program, but will determine my child's participation in those extras based on what I think is appropriate in that given situation.

[Anonymous]

DS plays baseball and he has traveled to Disney to play in a tournament. He was 11 at the time. The trip was tons of fun. I looked at it more as an opportunity to go on a fun vacation with friends. DS had a new baseball experience he enjoyed. If we couldn't afford the travel, I would've declined the invite. No big deal.

[Anonymous]

Two of my kids are in competitive gymnastics. The older one started traveling to nationals at age 8. This year the younger one also qualified to compete at the national competition - also age 8. Thing about this sort of sport is that you go in knowing that travel is a possibility if they do well enough. It's sort of a lifestyle. If you're not willing to do it, then you don't choose this sport. If you wait until high school, it's not likely that you'll do that well competitively. Maybe starting in MS is ok, but the kids that do really well tend to start much younger.

I do always travel with my kids, as do most parents. Some send their kids with other families. But, there is so much involved with hair, make up and all that I don't want to impose on others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Two of my kids are in competitive gymnastics. The older one started traveling to nationals at age 8. This year the younger one also qualified to compete at the national competition - also age 8. Thing about this sort of sport is that you go in knowing that travel is a possibility if they do well enough. It's sort of a lifestyle. If you're not willing to do it, then you don't choose this sport. If you wait until high school, it's not likely that you'll do that well competitively. Maybe starting in MS is ok, but the kids that do really well tend to start much younger.

I do always travel with my kids, as do most parents. Some send their kids with other families. But, there is so much involved with hair, make up and all that I don't want to impose on others.

And tend to lose their childhood with hours of practice/meets and live with a "why didn't I make it to the Olympics or a D1" attitude for the rest of their lives. Their only true friends are forced by being in the same sport. They can't do other fun activities, miss birthday parties, school events, and always try to live up to their parent's misplaced hype.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kid activities is a huge money-making business and they start as early as they can because parents drink the kool-aid.

"What if I don't let them go? Will she be competitive"

"Larla is going to travel soccer at age 8 but my daughter is better. Maybe we should too."

"If I start this now, she will have an edge."


Don't drink the kool-aid. Let them have a normal childhood.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We travel with our DS all over the country for his extracurricular. Not a big deal and we have the time and can afford it. He will make the top 100 for his age in the country after playing less than a yr in a month or two. He loves it so why not?!?

We are planning to travel internationally next yr for his activity.

How old is he? What extracurricular activity? Being in the top 100 for 9 year olds in something is really meaningless, particularly for boys in athletics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We travel with our DS all over the country for his extracurricular. Not a big deal and we have the time and can afford it. He will make the top 100 for his age in the country after playing less than a yr in a month or two. He loves it so why not?!?

We are planning to travel internationally next yr for his activity.

How old is he? What extracurricular activity? Being in the top 100 for 9 year olds in something is really meaningless, particularly for boys in athletics.

Chess. Talking about kids who become master level players at ~10-11 beating most adults and become grandmasters in their teens. Prodigies - chess has them along with music and math. Ranking is everything in chess and not meaningless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

At what age do you invest in your child extracurricular activities such as traveling with team

Never. We like to not have our vacations beholden to the travel schedule.

What kind os sports do you think allow you not to travel?

Were taking 3.5 weeks off this summer for Australia. We always travel for a week at Christmas and the week of spring break.

So for planned vacations, we already have on the books 5.5 weeks and two kids in travel sports.

What, only 5.5 weeks?

*eyeroll*

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Two of my kids are in competitive gymnastics. The older one started traveling to nationals at age 8. This year the younger one also qualified to compete at the national competition - also age 8. Thing about this sort of sport is that you go in knowing that travel is a possibility if they do well enough. It's sort of a lifestyle. If you're not willing to do it, then you don't choose this sport. If you wait until high school, it's not likely that you'll do that well competitively. Maybe starting in MS is ok, but the kids that do really well tend to start much younger.

I do always travel with my kids, as do most parents. Some send their kids with other families. But, there is so much involved with hair, make up and all that I don't want to impose on others.

And tend to lose their childhood with hours of practice/meets and live with a "why didn't I make it to the Olympics or a D1" attitude for the rest of their lives. Their only true friends are forced by being in the same sport. They can't do other fun activities, miss birthday parties, school events, and always try to live up to their parent's misplaced hype.

That's kind of dramatic PP. My kids definitely practice a lot - but most other kids I know waste a lot of time doing things of equal or less value for the same amount of time and my kids love to practice. It's not like anyone makes them become competitive athletes. Plus, it's good for them in so many ways. And, most kids become friends with kids who have the same interests, so it is natural for their friends to be from the gym. Still, they both have other friends and their best friends tend to be from school. As to missing fun activities, it is rare. There aren't that many birthday parties or school events that conflict with their sports schedules at this age. In fact, I'm having a hard time thinking of one single activity that either missed during this entire school year due to practice or competition - maybe a few church services, but they didn't seem to mind that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We travel with our DS all over the country for his extracurricular. Not a big deal and we have the time and can afford it. He will make the top 100 for his age in the country after playing less than a yr in a month or two. He loves it so why not?!?

We are planning to travel internationally next yr for his activity.

How old is he? What extracurricular activity? Being in the top 100 for 9 year olds in something is really meaningless, particularly for boys in athletics.

Totally agree. My friend's son was top 20 at age 10 in tennis. Spent every weekend traveling and spending thousands and thousands. By age 12, he wasn't in the top anything and by 13 decided he wanted to play baseball. "Total disappointment" for the parents.

[Anonymous]

So many negative comments about travelling. We love the weekend tournaments away!!! A lot of times I just go with my daughter, and leave the boys at home. We both treasure these awesome nights away in a hotel together. I'm usually very relaxed because I don't have 8000 tasks to do like I usually do at home. And my daughter may not remember any of the games she played in, but she will forever remember the nights the whole team played in a tiny pool, or the team dinners at restaurants, etc. She is on a travel team with a great bunch of girls, and the coaches and director have kept a great environment. We so look forward to our trips. Affording all the costs is another issue. But, if that is not a problem, and you want to go to away events, I would say to try it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We travel with our DS all over the country for his extracurricular. Not a big deal and we have the time and can afford it. He will make the top 100 for his age in the country after playing less than a yr in a month or two. He loves it so why not?!?

We are planning to travel internationally next yr for his activity.

How old is he? What extracurricular activity? Being in the top 100 for 9 year olds in something is really meaningless, particularly for boys in athletics.

Totally agree. My friend's son was top 20 at age 10 in tennis. Spent every weekend traveling and spending thousands and thousands. By age 12, he wasn't in the top anything and by 13 decided he wanted to play baseball. "Total disappointment" for the parents.

In chess, age is not a factor. Kids and adults are rated in the same pool - there is no "kid" rating system. Adults and kids participate in the same tournaments although many kids start out in scholastic kid only tournaments. It's very heady experience especially in the beginning for a 6, 7, 8... 12 yr old to crush someone the same age as their father and other adults. Unless their parents are serious tournament players these kids have beat their dads and moms awhile ago and that is why their parents bring them to tournaments. These kids are pretty damn amazing.

DS loves the travel, seeing new places and meeting his chess friends from prior tournaments. Mostly, he has a lot of fun. If DS wasn't playing chess, he would be spending the time playing Minecraft, collecting Pokemon cards, playing with his legos. Chess is great brain exercise and we are happy to support him. We love the travel too. Getting ready for tournaments every weekend for the next five weekends. Some of the places we will be going: Vegas, NYC and Philly. Since DH and I don't play chess, we usually find other things to pass the time