Does ds do too many after school activities??

[Blossomhill]

Ds aged 7 is in Year 2. He does football training on a Tuesday 6-7. Wednesday he has swimming lessons 4.15-4.45 and Thursday he does beavers (just started) 5.15 - 6.15.
Do you think it's too much seeing as he gets homework, reading etc.
He also plays a football match every Saturday morning.

[JanH]

If they're all things he wants to do, and he isn't on his knees by Friday, then I would think it's fine, BH. Watch him at ends of terms though - maybe skip a couple of sessions then if it's getting to him.

[romantick]

personally i would get him out of beavers.
let him enjoy the sports.i can see he loves football by the training and games .beavers will get in the way of his enjoyment of the other stuff.was it his idea to go into beavers

[doggiewalker]

I'd stick with Beavers 'cos when they progress through to cubs and scouts they have loads of activities available to them that they would find hard to do otherwise. I think it sounds OK, as long as, like JanH said, he's not absolutely wrecked by the end of the week.

[roisin]

Blossomhill - you would know if it was too much. Mine don't do much 'organised activity' (and are not fit for much after school anyway), but sometimes I 'organise' stuff for them at weekends and holidays, and soon realise when we've done too much, because they just want to chill out and sit on the floor with the Lego or read a book, and refuse to move

[bensmum3]

bh, talk to your son, dd now 10, was 7 when we moved house, she used to have brownies on monday, swimming and trampolining on tuesday, ballet, tap and modern dance on friday and horse riding on saturday, now we do after school activities on tuesday,and she helps muck out on sunday. When we moved she said she didnt really enjoy ballet anyway and doesnt miss her hectic life at all. Saying that lifes still hectic, but it's doing things when she wants to (shes now a lone brownie, helps to train a pony, swims at the beach,) and not doing them when she doesn't.I certainly don't miss being the escort/taxi driver.
I'm sure your ds is old enougth to know if he wants to and is capable of doing these activities.

[lowcalCOD]

my only compulsory is swimming
then he doees beavers and footie
too

[KBear]

bensmum3 - on reading a few of your posts tonight i gather you must live somewhere remote - would you mind telling us where? I'm guessing a Scottish Island?

My DD is 6 and in Rainbows - would your DD like a penpal?

[Slinky]

My 7yo does swimming on Tuesdays, and football on Fridays. He tried Beavers but hated it. Sometimes he does an "afterschool" club when they're on.

[Blossomhill]

Can I be honest and say That I feel it is too much for me and not him. It's the ferrying around and trying to fit in dinner, homework etc as I like them to be in bed no later than 8.

[bensmum3]

Bh, Could you share with another mum and take it in turns to provide the transport ? When dd used to go to ballet, her friend used to come to us one week and she'd go to the friends the following week.
Kbear, yes, we are on the small isles, in the inner hebrides. I will ask dd in the morning if she would like another penpal,where are you ?

[Branster]

yes

[KBear]

Bensmum3 - I'm in SE London but we're regular visitors to Glencoe and made a trip to Mull last year and love the West coast of Scotland.

I re-read your post and realise your DD is 10 (thought I'd read her age as 7) and as my DD is only 6 she might think my DD is a bit young. However, my goddaughter is 9 and a Brownie so she might like to strike up a friendship with a pack of London Brownies - might be fun for all of them!
CAT me if she's interested!
Apologies for hijacking this thread - .

[kizzie]

This thread has really made me feel better. At my Ds' school the children(age 5) seem (to me) to do an unbelievable amount of extra activities. In lots of cases every single night is accounted for plus extras on a weekend. Mine do footy & swimming plus a little drama class on a weekend but I often find that I feel guilty because they arent doing more. Ive resisted so far though because I really do believe deep down that they need some time just to 'chill' and make up their own games etc.
Kizziex

[Beansmum]

I don't think 3 activities during the week and a footie game is too much if you and your ds are both happy with it.

I had every night full when I was at school, swimming club, band, choir, hockey, netball, piano lessons, trumpet lessons some lunchtimes and hockey and netball games at the weekend. I loved it and wouldn't have given any of it up, but it wasn't too hard on my mum as I went by myself and made my own way home. I dropped some of the activities as I got older because I had more homework to do but it was my choice.

I always got all my homework done but that might be because I LOVED doing homework and also we had no TV.