how do you manage activities for your early elementary kids

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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!

Maybe instead of activities, spend the money on a weekly sitter for your son so your DD has your attention during that time. If you have the time to shuttle DD to all these activities, surely you can carve out one-on-one time instead.

Have you ever tried to find a sitter for a kid with severe autism??

We’ve had several over the years.

[Anonymous]

Rising 4th grader does:
-Cub scouts (every other Tuesday, occasional weekend activities)
-weekend sport (either swim lessons or track)

He used to do soccer but was never into it so switched to track. In summer track is 2x a week. During the school year he’s in aftercare and is happy to just hang out and play. Sometimes he does an afterschool class that the PTA sets up that is during aftercare (curing it art).

His sister had a similar schedule. Now she’s in middle school and is much busier after school.

[Anonymous]

Who are these parents who have time to chauffeur their kids to various after school activities multiple evenings a week? Do you not work?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who are these parents who have time to chauffeur their kids to various after school activities multiple evenings a week? Do you not work?

Nope

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who are these parents who have time to chauffeur their kids to various after school activities multiple evenings a week? Do you not work?

I work, but I start at 6 am so I'm done by the time school is out. Certainly by 6pm when the activities start.

[Anonymous]

Why don’t parents teach their kids these activities that they outsource?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who are these parents who have time to chauffeur their kids to various after school activities multiple evenings a week? Do you not work?

I start work at 4: 00am. Work from home. My boss does not micromanage. If the memo is done, it's done. No one cares when it was done.

[Anonymous]

I start work at 4:30 and wfh. #Blessed

[Anonymous]

With rising K, during year she has six hours of language classes on weekends, two hours of swim lessons weekly, and she is in a religious afterschool program twice a week. In the summer, she does a pre-swim team. We take her to art and gymnastics parents night out occasionally, but nothing else. She wants to do dance, but there is no time/budget. We explain that she can swim at an advanced level for her age while her friends who dance don't swim and that if she wanted to dance she would need to stop swimming. I don't know how people fit everything in and have full-time jobs. We had an au pair when she was younger, so we could consider for the driving, but that seems excessive.

[Anonymous]

Did 1-2 activities fall/spring season based on interest or sport season. Took Winter as a break mostly. Swim lessons count as an activity it’s just a needed activity. Do them whatever season works for your family. Each season reevaluate what they want to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who are these parents who have time to chauffeur their kids to various after school activities multiple evenings a week? Do you not work?

Nope

A lot of folks have afternoon nannies/sitters that pick up kids from school and take them to activities. (Some have full time nannies as well even though their kids are in school.) Not all working parents do aftercare.

Lots of folks have staggered schedules, go in early, have flexibility to do quick drop offs, etc.

I myself WFH (have long before Covid). My job is very solitary -- it's very rare that I even have so much as one phone call or meeting in a day. As long as deliverables are delivered, no one cares if I (or anyone else in my role) steps away to run errands, go to dr appts, pick up or drop off kids, etc., and this is particularly true in the late afternoon hours. So I do the chauffering (with some carpools mixed in). We do have a rule, however, that all activities need to be a SHORT and EASY commute. So, e.g., my DD wanted to do gymnastics but the nearest gym was a total hike away on a traffick-y route, so it was a hard no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who are these parents who have time to chauffeur their kids to various after school activities multiple evenings a week? Do you not work?

DH and I work but can spend 15 minutes driving a kid to an activity at 3:45. Maybe we're on a work call during that time, maybe not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who are these parents who have time to chauffeur their kids to various after school activities multiple evenings a week? Do you not work?

Of course people work. The activities start between 5:30-7:30. You plan worn before and after activities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t parents teach their kids these activities that they outsource?

I don't have a swimming pool, ice rink, basketball court, or fully equipped gymnastics gym.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t parents teach their kids these activities that they outsource?

I don't have a swimming pool, ice rink, basketball court, or fully equipped gymnastics gym.