Anonymous wrote: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.

What makes you that was what stunted your potential? Actually, what makes you think you had potential to begin with?

Our kids don't watch TV during the week. They're teenagers now, but since middle school we've always had a sport practice for each one or two (in HS) evenings per week, plus a music or tutoring lesson. Sometimes one of them will do a school play or have a band performance. My husband coaches a team for each kid, and we eat dinner together most nights. It can get a little busy on the weekend during soccer season, but we try and make it fun -- for example we like to try new ethnic restaurants nearby wherever they're playing. I think, especially as they get older, it's important to keep kids occupied and active so they don't end up couch potatoes in front of the TV or video game. Our kids would certainly camp out there if we let them!

My child is in 3rd grade and we have been doing evening activities since Pre-K. Evening meaning starting at 5.

Like a pp, when we don't have activities, we wouldn't necessarily look for any family fun ways to fill the time anyway. We don't do tv or computer during the weekday so that is not an option and I can't play with my child for hours at the end of the day - no energy, housework, work for work, etc.

I also noticed that by last year in 2nd grade kids began to get "good" at certain sports and the teams stopped teaching the basics as much by that age because the expectation was the child already would know how to play. I think that puts kids just starting out later at a serious disadvantage so I am glad we started sports in the earlier years. Even if my child doesn't stick with it she will know the basics.

Both of my kids play sports. Our fall schedule looks like this:

My 12 year old: He has practice for his regular team two nights during the weekday, saturday mornings and then games on Sundays. He is doing an additional training session outside of his team on Sunday nights and it's 50 minutes from my house from 7:30 to 9pm.

My 7 year old also plays sports. He has practice one weekday evening and games on Saturdays.

The schedule will change in the Winter when they both start baskeball, although my 12 year old will continue training with his soccer team and also particpate in an indoor soccer league.

Yes, I realize my kids are probably overscheduled much of the time but it's our norm and how we operate. They love each activity they participate in.

Anonymous wrote:OP - what do you mean by "evening"?

My 7 year old has three afterschool activities during the week, two of which are at her school, and swimming on the weekends. My 4 year old does one afterschool activity (music lessons that she asked for b/c older sister has them) and swimming on the weekends. None of the weekday activities are in the "evening," they end at 4, 4:30 and 5:30.

I associate evening activities with team sports and so far my kids have not gravitated towards those. I have it as a goal to have a calm evening where we are not rushing homework/dinner/bed and I find I can do that and have activities if they end early.

Are you a SAHM? WOHM can't take kids to activities that end at 4pm.

My children are 16, 13, 10 & 3.5.

We just jumped on the evening activities train last year. My son, who is 10, plays football (he is a football fanatic). So, there's the practices and the games associated with that. My husband takes him to practice (the field is 5 minutes from our home), so I'm home with the other children making dinner, helping with homework, etc. I do attend his games.

My 3.5 year old loves gymnastics, but she does it on Saturday mornings, not a weeknight. If my son's football game is at the same time as her class, we give the gymnastics class a miss.

My oldest two (girls) never really had an interest and I didn't push it. My 13 has recently expressed an interest in running track, so she'll start that this winter/spring.

We rarely do afterschool/evening activities; for our family it works better to do classes/lessons on the weekend.

My kids are older, and when they're not doing homework on weekdays, they're drawing, writing, baking, playing guitar, making up goofy songs, skateboarding/riding bikes with friends. They're doing plenty, even if it's not an organized activity.

Anonymous wrote:OP - what do you mean by "evening"?

My 7 year old has three afterschool activities during the week, two of which are at her school, and swimming on the weekends. My 4 year old does one afterschool activity (music lessons that she asked for b/c older sister has them) and swimming on the weekends. None of the weekday activities are in the "evening," they end at 4, 4:30 and 5:30.

I associate evening activities with team sports and so far my kids have not gravitated towards those. I have it as a goal to have a calm evening where we are not rushing homework/dinner/bed and I find I can do that and have activities if they end early.

+1

Evening activities? In the evening we eat dinner as a family, read and play and take baths and get ready for bed.

My older daughter does ballet once a week -- Sat. morning. My youngest has no structured activity outside preschool.

OP - what do you mean by "evening"?

My 7 year old has three afterschool activities during the week, two of which are at her school, and swimming on the weekends. My 4 year old does one afterschool activity (music lessons that she asked for b/c older sister has them) and swimming on the weekends. None of the weekday activities are in the "evening," they end at 4, 4:30 and 5:30.

I associate evening activities with team sports and so far my kids have not gravitated towards those. I have it as a goal to have a calm evening where we are not rushing homework/dinner/bed and I find I can do that and have activities if they end early.

Anonymous wrote: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.

This is us. But I'm willing to do evening activities once dc is older.

I would definitely try to find a sport for your child.

It sounds like you will raise undermotivated kids like yourself. Get up off your ass and encourage them to be active in life!