how do you manage activities for your early elementary kids

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid doesn't really have weekday downtime after school. It's a lot with two working parents, but honestly, at home she is generally clamoring for TV, and I would much rather her do an activity than get sucked into that.

This is us. Downtime for her equals iPad and so I'd rather her be busy in an activity so I can avoid that fight. I think there's plenty of downtime on weekends, even with the two sports plus swimming lessons that she does.

There are other alternatives for kids besides an iPad or an organized activity coordinated by another adult. Maybe try spending time with your child -cook dinner together, have them help with the grocery shopping, read a book together, etc.

Other PP who said my DD gravitates toward TV and that is part of the calculus for stacking her with activities. I get the my post was quick and a little flippant but we have a lot of factors at play in our family that lead to being out of the house = better. Specifically, her little brother has severe autism and requires 1:1 attention of any and all parents who are home, so we end up throwing the TV on for DD out of guilt. But thanks for the lecture about spending time with my kid!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid doesn't really have weekday downtime after school. It's a lot with two working parents, but honestly, at home she is generally clamoring for TV, and I would much rather her do an activity than get sucked into that.

Ah. Pp here. Different for us. Downtime is all creative play and crafts, legos and reading whatever the latest book the oldest is into and playing with her sibling. By choice and very much like her parents at that age.

You already said your kids aren’t athletic, so this makes sense. It would be wrong to push them into sports when they clearly prefer calmer activities. Some kids are like that. Others are in constant motion. When left to make their own choices they want to kick or throw a ball, wrestle, and run around. So sports it is for us. Different kids need different things. As long as you’re following your kids’ lead it’s all fine.

[Anonymous]

Ah mother goose knows best

LOL I love you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid doesn't really have weekday downtime after school. It's a lot with two working parents, but honestly, at home she is generally clamoring for TV, and I would much rather her do an activity than get sucked into that.

This is us. Downtime for her equals iPad and so I'd rather her be busy in an activity so I can avoid that fight. I think there's plenty of downtime on weekends, even with the two sports plus swimming lessons that she does.

There are other alternatives for kids besides an iPad or an organized activity coordinated by another adult. Maybe try spending time with your child -cook dinner together, have them help with the grocery shopping, read a book together, etc.

Seriously?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yall are nuts and glad I moved out of this area. Activities every day of the week is insane.

I grew up having activities every day of the week and lived in New England and New York. It's not the area, it's the family lifestyle.

It’s weird

It was actually totally normal in both areas where I grew up. I also thought everyone went to camp for eight weeks each summer. I was in 9th grade before I made friends with someone who'd just hung out at home all summer.

There have always been activities and camps, but I don't believe that kids were always this busy. What's wrong with being home in the summer? I had my neighborhood friends til the begging of high school. No, we weren't swamped with activities, but that didn't mean we sat around doing nothing. Free time I'm some people's minds always equates lazy or trouble and I just don't get that.

[Anonymous]

We generally let them pick 3 activities a season - so if one of those is year round, they have two more slots they can fill. There is some overlap and we don’t make it to every practice or game but do as much as possible. I don’t steer them towards anything in particular, they are 1st and 3rd and I’ll happily take them to whatever interests them. Right now they don’t want to learn an instrument so we don’t have lessons.
Last Fall it was chess club, rec soccer and flag football. This Fall it will be club soccer, baseball and hopefully a Lego class if they offer an after school one.

[Anonymous]

I let my kids do whatever sports they want. They have no interest in music, and they did swim lessons in the summer. Luckily, they haven't had any interest in scouts. It is a lot, but it's what they love so I shuttle them about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We generally let them pick 3 activities a season - so if one of those is year round, they have two more slots they can fill. There is some overlap and we don’t make it to every practice or game but do as much as possible. I don’t steer them towards anything in particular, they are 1st and 3rd and I’ll happily take them to whatever interests them. Right now they don’t want to learn an instrument so we don’t have lessons.
Last Fall it was chess club, rec soccer and flag football. This Fall it will be club soccer, baseball and hopefully a Lego class if they offer an after school one.

Similarly, we told our rising second grader two sports plus one artistic thing (in addition to scouts which isn't a huge time commitment for us). If it were up to her, there'd be at least one extra thing there, but that's what we can manage financially and seems reasonable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yall are nuts and glad I moved out of this area. Activities every day of the week is insane.

I grew up having activities every day of the week and lived in New England and New York. It's not the area, it's the family lifestyle.

It’s weird

It was actually totally normal in both areas where I grew up. I also thought everyone went to camp for eight weeks each summer. I was in 9th grade before I made friends with someone who'd just hung out at home all summer.

There have always been activities and camps, but I don't believe that kids were always this busy. What's wrong with being home in the summer? I had my neighborhood friends til the begging of high school. No, we weren't swamped with activities, but that didn't mean we sat around doing nothing. Free time I'm some people's minds always equates lazy or trouble and I just don't get that.

My 80s summers were pretty un-structured when I was little - lazy mornings at the local pool, picnic lunches with friends at a playground, slip and slides and board games with neighbors. But back then all the moms stayed at home and dads came home right at 5 in time for dinner. My parents got divorced and my mom went back to work and then it was summer camp all summer and after care every day after school. My parents made me do a bunch of community activities (Girl Scouts, softball, soccer, theater) to try to make friends in the new neighborhood we moved to after the divorce

I’m a SAHM now, and my kids do some camps here and there. But most of their friends are in camps most of the time because both parents work so they need childcare. Even with my kids home, it’s not the same laid back vibe as days of yore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - wow this is way more than I'd been thinking. For my rising 1st grader I'm planning activities too afternoons a week + one game on weekends. He's pushing for a 3 activity and I was debating fitting in swim lessons but both of those would probably also be on weekends and i'd only add in one at most.

Not saying that's the right answer (or there is any right answer) - I tend to think of things negatively and only see the down side in every option (eg if they don't do enough activities they won't have the change to find what they like / build the skills in time to keep up when older / explore things beyond sports like scouts / music / art etc....but if they do too many activities they'll be over programmed and not know how to entertain themselves and spend too much time being shuttled around in a car etc etc....so its good to hear all perspectives and why you feel they're right for you)

OP that sounds like a good balance. those saying they had activities every day as kids are likely remembering when they were older and practices increased. I grew up in this area and sure when I was in high school and playing a high school sport I had something every day. Two activities is good.

[Anonymous]

Well I'll be on the other end here, 2 working parents and kids in aftercare, so we limit activities.

Rising 3rd- did one activity at school last year so it was during the aftercare time anyways and then one winter sport (1 weekday practice and 1 weekend game). The 1 weekday practice was hard enough to coordinate between the 2 of us commuting from work that day. She didn't want to sign up for anything else since then.

Rising K- planning for just aftercare being the activity and nothing additional since he'll probably be exhausted from school.

They're both taking swimming lessons on the weekend this summer. We take the kids places on the weekends or take short trips etc.

[Anonymous]

We are going to be new to FCPS this year and our school doesn't even get out until 4:05 (latest dismissal time). Do you just do activities that start around 5?

[Anonymous]

I think you have to consider your kids’ temperaments, your family’s work schedules and willingness to carpool or use babysitters, and your budget.

I have one kid who needs downtime. I have an another kid who needs to be around other kids and/or getting lots of physical activity most days. If the former does too much or the latter doesn’t have enough activities, they get moody and annoying. My husband works late 2 days a week and can’t help with the 4-7pm driving. We allow 1 sport per season, per kid. They can pick the sport 3 seasons - except summer is swim team. Both kids do scouts, swimming once a week, and one other school-based activity that meets weekly. This works for our family and still allows us adults to have time to work out or spend time with our own friends. As my kids get older, if they want to do more, I will ask them to get involved in figuring out who we can carpool with or whether they can ride their bike or walk themselves one way to or from the activity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yall are nuts and glad I moved out of this area. Activities every day of the week is insane.

I grew up having activities every day of the week and lived in New England and New York. It's not the area, it's the family lifestyle.

It’s weird

It was actually totally normal in both areas where I grew up. I also thought everyone went to camp for eight weeks each summer. I was in 9th grade before I made friends with someone who'd just hung out at home all summer.

There have always been activities and camps, but I don't believe that kids were always this busy. What's wrong with being home in the summer? I had my neighborhood friends til the begging of high school. No, we weren't swamped with activities, but that didn't mean we sat around doing nothing. Free time I'm some people's minds always equates lazy or trouble and I just don't get that.

Dunno what to tell you. I was born in ‘76 and everyone I knew went to camp all summer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yall are nuts and glad I moved out of this area. Activities every day of the week is insane.

I grew up having activities every day of the week and lived in New England and New York. It's not the area, it's the family lifestyle.

It’s weird

It was actually totally normal in both areas where I grew up. I also thought everyone went to camp for eight weeks each summer. I was in 9th grade before I made friends with someone who'd just hung out at home all summer.

There have always been activities and camps, but I don't believe that kids were always this busy. What's wrong with being home in the summer? I had my neighborhood friends til the begging of high school. No, we weren't swamped with activities, but that didn't mean we sat around doing nothing. Free time I'm some people's minds always equates lazy or trouble and I just don't get that.

Dunno what to tell you. I was born in ‘76 and everyone I knew went to camp all summer.

You don't need to. I was responding to a comment that made it sound like an unstructured summer/ childhood was a negative experience for everyone. Yes, I know that there were kid activities back when we were kids. My friends and I participated in some, but at least in out circle, we were less busy.