Avoiding activities that meet on the weekend?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nope ,we love having sports on the weekend.

Same!! It’s great for them both physically and mentally. Learning teamwork is a lifelong skill.

What would you do with your child if there were no sports on your weekend?

Do you really think kids can't entertain themselves without activities on the weekend? What did you do growing up?

Our kids are not really into sports. They do swimming and have a couple of extracurriculars on the weekend. Even so, I always prioritize things like friends' birthdays and I wish their friends were more available to just hang out. IMO it sucks that the American model is to have them so overscheduled. It shouldn't be between "weekend sports" and "staring at the walls."

+1 but unfortunately *everyone* is so over scheduled that it amounts to just that. If you have a kid who enjoys family time then great. Otherwise you’re SOL because all their friends’ parents have capitulated to UMC anxiety and are running the rat race.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^we like to leave time on the weekends to get together with other families we're friends with. Our kids love these get togethers, too, at least for the time being. Yes, sometimes those are outings to the pumpkin patch or a farm brewery with a playground, etc.

And you can’t plan these things around a one hour soccer game? Of which you have the entire season scheduled in advance? Play One sport doesn’t take up your entire weekend. Hell, my kids play multiple travel sports and it still isn’t take up our entire weekends.

We have three kids, so if each did a sport like that, it would take up much of the weekend. Also, you know that many leagues have games all over the place, so you have to factor in travel time. We also like our family to have downtime, so that’s in there, too. Some families are barely home all weekend and that’s fine. Also fine: not wanting that.

[Anonymous]

Bottom line is that American kids play sports on the weekends. Other than that there is not much more to American life once the kids get too old to enjoy those ‘family hikes, zoo and museum visits’ lol

I grew up as the kid of immigrants and our family spent every weekend at friends’ houses for dinner and hanging out until late into the evening. The kids would all just play with each other.

Americans don’t really do this …other than have the occasional bbq and invite a couple of friends over a few times a year maybe. So their kids’ sports fill their weekends. Otherwise there is not much else for them to do!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nope ,we love having sports on the weekend.

Same!! It’s great for them both physically and mentally. Learning teamwork is a lifelong skill.

What would you do with your child if there were no sports on your weekend?

Do you really think kids can't entertain themselves without activities on the weekend? What did you do growing up?

Our kids are not really into sports. They do swimming and have a couple of extracurriculars on the weekend. Even so, I always prioritize things like friends' birthdays and I wish their friends were more available to just hang out. IMO it sucks that the American model is to have them so overscheduled. It shouldn't be between "weekend sports" and "staring at the walls."

I totally agree.

+1 DD is 9 she likes biking and hiking we make time for that. We have a pool so there is also playing in the pool time. Sometimes there's a playdate. Sometimes her grandparents come over for boardgames. She still likes day trips to DC. There is a lot to do instead of sports and I find the idea of watching kids run around chasing/hitting/passing a ball so boring I could cry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bottom line is that American kids play sports on the weekends. Other than that there is not much more to American life once the kids get too old to enjoy those ‘family hikes, zoo and museum visits’ lol

I grew up as the kid of immigrants and our family spent every weekend at friends’ houses for dinner and hanging out until late into the evening. The kids would all just play with each other.

Americans don’t really do this …other than have the occasional bbq and invite a couple of friends over a few times a year maybe. So their kids’ sports fill their weekends. Otherwise there is not much else for them to do!

Since college applications want a laundry list of achievements and activities Americans have little choice but to sign their kids up as young as possible to find their "niche" because hanging out at the neighbor's house during all your down time isn't exactly going to set you apart from the pack when it comes time to apply.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bottom line is that American kids play sports on the weekends. Other than that there is not much more to American life once the kids get too old to enjoy those ‘family hikes, zoo and museum visits’ lol

I grew up as the kid of immigrants and our family spent every weekend at friends’ houses for dinner and hanging out until late into the evening. The kids would all just play with each other.

Americans don’t really do this …other than have the occasional bbq and invite a couple of friends over a few times a year maybe. So their kids’ sports fill their weekends. Otherwise there is not much else for them to do!

Huh? I’m an American who never played a sport. There are plenty of other things to do. I did orchestra. My kid is doing ballet and swimming, and wants to start gymnastics.

[Anonymous]

I think some of you just don’t have any older kids yet. They reach a point where they no longer want to go to the zoo or the indoor trampoline place or have a “play date.”

[Anonymous]

When DS was in elementary, nearly every Saturday the soccer game extended into a big playdate at a playground or someone's house. So, they still got their unstructured play time. And, DH and I made friends with the other parents.

It's definitely harder with more kids/more games to juggle but one sport at at time, not played at the travel level, still leaves a lot of weekend time for friends and family. Sunday tended to our family outing day after soccer on Saturday. We do have a 2nd child but she hated sports and just wanted to go hiking so we made sure to prioritize that.

[Anonymous]

1 sport per season per kid. After that it gets unmanageable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nope ,we love having sports on the weekend.

Same!! It’s great for them both physically and mentally. Learning teamwork is a lifelong skill.

What would you do with your child if there were no sports on your weekend?

You can learn these things without sports.

[Anonymous]

I have three kids 8, 5, 3. Even with just our 5 and 8 year old playing sports (plus birthday parties etc) most every Saturday and Sunday (and most weeknights when you also add in religious education) are filled. I can’t even imagine once our 3 year old becomes interested. I wish we had more downtime as a family, but my kids love it — so I guess that’s my sacrifice as a parent!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think some of you just don’t have any older kids yet. They reach a point where they no longer want to go to the zoo or the indoor trampoline place or have a “play date.”

The older kid argument is kind of weak though. Yes, they are getting older may start to outgrow things, but they're still kids. Honestly, I think maybe older kids especially need to learn to entertain themselves without organized activities and screens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have three kids 8, 5, 3. Even with just our 5 and 8 year old playing sports (plus birthday parties etc) most every Saturday and Sunday (and most weeknights when you also add in religious education) are filled. I can’t even imagine once our 3 year old becomes interested. I wish we had more downtime as a family, but my kids love it — so I guess that’s my sacrifice as a parent!

You were me a few years ago. The kids are now 11, 8 and 6. It's crazy because now the 6 year is joining in the fray so the weekends are all divide and conquer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nope ,we love having sports on the weekend.

Same!! It’s great for them both physically and mentally. Learning teamwork is a lifelong skill.

What would you do with your child if there were no sports on your weekend?

You can learn these things without sports.

Yep. You can learn that through a dance team, orchestra, gymnastics, a theater troupe, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nope ,we love having sports on the weekend.

Same!! It’s great for them both physically and mentally. Learning teamwork is a lifelong skill.

What would you do with your child if there were no sports on your weekend?

You can learn these things without sports.

Sports are great because you can 1) do all those things while 2) staying in shape and getting exercise. Think of it as killing two birds with one stone.