Is nursery enough for a 4 year old or do they need extra activities ??

[mummyloveslucy]

Hi, my daughter is 4 and goes to nursery nearly full time. At the nursery they do ballet, jazz, tennis, music rythem and rhyme and swimming. This I would've thought was more than enough activity for a 4 year old.
Most of the parents take their children from nursery to extra swimming, extra ballet, extra tennis etc. I just can't see the point. Most of them have something to go to every day after nursery. I think my daughter would be exhausted.
When other parents ask what we're doing after nursery and I say "we're going to go and play in the garden", or similar, they look suprised and say "Oh".
I love spending time with my daughter, we live in the country and love walking, seing farm animals, having picnicks etc.
It has crossed my mind though that every other child in her class has so much coaching for this and that, I don't want my daughter to be behind them all when they start school properly. She already has a speech disorder and posible developmental problems.
I just want to know if I'm doing what's best for her. She really enjoys our time together, just skipping through fields, making up silly storys together and just being herself.
I see 4 year olds as not much older than toddlers. I don't want her to be under pressure, but don't want her to fall too far behind either.

[PandaG]

you are doing exactly the right thing for your daughter. All the extra activities are just not necessary imo. Were she not going to nursery I might say one activity to be sociable learn a bit of structure before school, but otherwise, picnic and play in the garden!

[mummyloveslucy]

Thanks, I'm doing what feels right for us. It does make you wonder though when you're the only Mum in the class that dosn't do all these extras.

[mummyloveslucy]

The only extra she does is speech therapy, which she's not at all keen on. But it is important.