Is your child burnt out with after school clubs- or are they costing too much?

[cabbageroses]

I do some after school tutoring and I amazed how many kids do things almost every night of the week. They are almost burnt out some of the time.
Also, some parents are having to cut back now due to the recession.

I think some parents allow their kids to do so many clubs as a kind of "keep up with the Jones.". Am I right?

[redcats]

surely noone is going to answer yes to this (even if its true)???!!!

[Runoutofideas]

I don't think that's the reason. From what I can see, a lot of it is down to childcare reasons - if the child can be picked up from school an hour later then that often makes it easier for the parents. The other main reason, I think, is pester power from the child.
My dd does activities on two days after school, which I feel is enough. She's desperate to start ballet but I have said no for the time being as I feel she'd be too tired. (She's 5). The children talk about what they do and it makes the others want to have a go.
I do think lots of children do too much, and that children need time to learn how to entertain themselves, but I don't think it happens for the reason you say.

[lovecheese]

Well mine don't. They do manageable stuff, both from a time-wise and logistical point of view as I have 3 DC's.

I know one or two children who seem to go from one activity after the other but they are the exception. I wonder if your question will have different answers from different parts of the country? I certainly don't know any kids learning Mandarin where I live!

[cabbageroses]

I know families where kids do Kumon ( 2x a week), swimming, Brownies, French, and maybe a sport or musical instrument as well. 5 sessions a week seems quite normal here in the SE.

[nikki1978]

I also agree it is often the children asking to do these things especially at school age. I let my DD to 2 after school activities as I work 2 days so she is with my mum and MIL for those and I can't ask them to drive all over the place doing pick ups and drop offs. She does art class on one afternoon and swimming another and that leaves us one free afternoon (after school I mean). Ds is only 3 so he isn't bothered but I have signed him up to do the art class too as it is cheap and fun. He also does swimming. DD will be starting brownies in Sept so I will probably start swimming at the weekend instead (they don't do classes I take them).

I can't afford to spend much either but the art classes are £50 a term each and the swimming is free for them and about £3 for me each time.

My next door neighbours kids do 4 things a week each but again they want to. I think preschool children might get put into lots of clubs that their parents are choosing but after school I think the pressure generally comes from the children.

[HattiFattner]

DS1 does swimming 6x a week. Rugby 2x in winter (school, club). Footie and Hockey after school. Scouts. Scout camps.

Everything down to him - he loves the water, loves sports, loves scouts and doesn't want give anything up. He organises his homework accordingly and spends at least two afternoons a week vegging in front of the TV.

Some kids are naturally energetic. Other kids prefer to gawp at the xbox. I accept have one of the former. His best friend is one of the latter.

Teacher recently asked best fiends mum to get him more rest as he was always tired. Mine....they ask when he has morning swimming as he is calmer and more focussed on days when he had burnt off some energy before school!

[Lindax]

when I will young (decades ago!) I used to come home from school and go out to play for a couple of hours with my 4 siblings and the other kids in the street until teatime.

for various reasons this is not as easy today - ds (6) is an only child, there are no other kids his age in the street and I wont let him venture further afield yet - imo him going to football, karate, swimming is the modern equivalent of going to play with other children.

[Fiddledee]

journalist?

[emy72]

Thing is that with certain children interests build up over time and then it's hard to drop them.

My DD1 for example has been doing ballet, modern and tap since she was 3 years old. Now she is 6 and it's become quite intense. But she loves it and doesn't want to drop it.

Then she does Rainbows because all her friends in the village go.

Then she does piano as she is very musical and I play and our family all play and she couldn't wait to start.

Then the school offered a cookery club and again all her friends go.

So virtually every night she is busy. I ask her regularly if she wants to drop anything and the answer is always NO. She actually used to to horseriding but I have put a stop to that with the excuse of cold weather as I thought that might be too much.

Her brother on the other hand doesn't do anything yet and isn't that bothered. A day at school is enough for him and he is shattered when he gets back.

So it's all subjective. They do get a break at half term anyway, most activities actually break up for 2 weeks so it's not that intense.

[beautifulgirls]

Mine do swimming once a week after school and nothing else - I'd rather have time with them at home to be a family and not be rushing through reading and spellings to get to other things. In time they may prefer to do other activities and we'll look at their choices when they make them.

[allnightlong]

Charming I bet OP isn't judging so loudly when she/he is taking money from the parents.
If you feel a child is too tired then decline to teach their child.

I would say 'keeping up with the jones' has very little to do with it. I would suggest that school curriculum is so narrow that some parents feel they have no choice but to suppliment their education outside of school.

[bumpybecky]

dd1 (12) does Guides (weds night) and swimming (saturday morning)

dd2 (10) does Guides (weds night) and swimming (tuesday night), also flute in school so lots of practise (in theory anyway)

dd3 (5) does swimming (sunday night)

ds(3) does nothing!

no burn out, we'd do more if we could afford more

[crystal07]

DD -Friday -Swimming
Saturday -Stagecoach

DS - Tuesday - Swimming

• Saturday - Little kickers

[madwomanintheattic]

mine do loads and it costs a fortune. i'd love to say i'm keeping up with the jones's but no-one else round here does anything (it's an hour and a half round trip for dance - between them mine do 8 dance lessons a week)

they do the dance/ different sports because they love them and i think it's really important for children to develop a love of physical activity. in addition the performances help to give them confidence.

the guides/ brownies/ cubs etc they do because the stuff is fun - who doesn't want to go camping in the wilderness with their friends and no parents? it also instils a sense of citizenship and pride in their own abilities - confidence again. and i'm thrilled that they get to spend time outdoors instead of playing computer games.

they would all do more if we could afford the time/ money - they each have a list of what else they want to do - horse riding and snowboarding currently.

(they do swimming lessons in the summer during the dance school break)

[Feelingsensitive]

Then by the same logic, people are paying a tutor to "keep up with the Jones's" which you profit from, right?

[Feelingsensitive]

Then by the same logic, people are paying a tutor to "keep up with the Jones's" which you profit from, right?