11 year old granddaughters activity level

My daughter is older but there are 11 year olds in her dance school who do the same. They dance 4.30/5pm-9pm Monday to Friday and compete or perform at weekends.
When kids have a very high activity level you just need to make sure their diet reflects that. So mine will eat a lot of carbs especially wholegrain pasta, rice, bread etc. A decent amount of protein. And sugar to get them through the last rehearsal hour slump. And a great night sleep is important too.

Unless she's dead lifting she does not need a rest day. She is moving her body in a natural way for a healthy young person

This is a normal and healthy amount of exercise for a child. It's just that our lifestyles mean that our expectations of how much they move drops dramatically after they start school. It's not only toddlers who are designed to move all day, it's just that from 5ish most don't have the option.

Also if she's doing it at 11 she is setting herself up for a very healthy adolescence. Puberty is when kids should be moving more as it's when they develop muscles for their adult bodies. Exercise will 100% improve her wellbeing as a teenager. It's more the risk that she'll give it up as a teen, so please please encourage her, and don't talk about her body shape.

My only concern would be that she's doing significant physical activity 7 days a week. How often does get a rest day?

This is a brilliant, healthy schedule that will benefit her mental and physical health HUGELY.

You are 100 percent wrong to be worried

Your son is doing a fantastic job, be very proud

Our school isn't even homework intensive but to keep up with homework too they couldn't be out every night.

Gosh maybe we are more restricted than we thought in terms of stamina/functioning. They seemed fairly average amongst friends!

It looks tons to me but I realise I'm a minority! My teens struggled with more than 2 activities a week but although very high flying academically they are ND so maybe it's that.

The ones that do lots tend to be swimmers or dancers but otherwise they didn't seem unusual.

Being out everyday would be exhausting for them and managing with school. But I can see maybe we're the outlier in mumsnet circles!

Thought you were going to be posting about a couch potato when I read the title. I know you mean kindly, but for a sporty child that itinerary is absolutely normal and fine. Sports will be great for her mental and physical health and she wouldn't do it if she didn't love it.

I have 2 sporty DC, they each have 4 weekday training activities and events/matches both weekend days. Also both skinny but good eaters, perfectly healthy. Both friends with lots of similar sports mad kids who are the same.

Sounds similar to my teen's schedule (she also plays tennis and does showjumping competitively and also plays netball for the school).

Monday: after school tennis for 3 hours;
Tuesday: horse riding for about 1 hour;
Wednesday: after school tennis for 2 hours and horse riding for about 1 hour;
Thursday: she plays netball for the school so either 1 hour after school training or a match, then 1 hour horse riding;
Friday: 1 hour tennis and 1 hour horse riding after school;
Saturday: 2 hours horse riding (2 different horses);
Sunday: horse competitions.

Really full on 😬 but she's doing well and sport is good for body and soul.

Daily physical activity is necessary for children. It has huge mental and physical benefits. I don’t think it’s something to worry about.

Competitive sport can put a lot of pressure on chidren but exercise itself is not harmful. As long as she’s eating enough to fuel her body, sleeps enough, and has time to relax and socialise as well, it’s fine.

If she is managing ok then I wouldn’t worry. Its far better she’s engaged with physical activity rather than sitting around playing on a phone etc. I personally wouldn’t be wanting to do all that running around

Please don't call her skinny.

Looks very much like my schedule at her age!

So many young people are overweight, suffering from anxiety and spending too much time on screens.She sounds like she is driven, energetic, healthy and sporty.

At that age I’d just support her to ensure she understands nutrition and fueling for sports performance. You’d struggle to make a tween /teen do that level of sport if they didn’t have the love and drive to do it. I have two teen DDs and one does a lot of sport, competes nationally but it’s all driven by her she still keeps up with her A levels it’s her world. As long as the pressure isn’t coming from dad I’d say support and guide whilst she’s happy whilst keeping options open. A lot can change in the teen years my DDs has seen her peers just stop exercising completely, get into partying drink & drugs, so everyone is different and needs different things in their life.

Make sure you offer her other options when she is in your care.
Through out the year offer some baking, listening to music, painting, craft, sewing, knitting, reading and take her to a performance and to the zoo.
Take her bird watching and walking and snoozing on the beach.

She seems to know what she likes doing and she eats very well.
Be alert to either of those two things changing.

If she's enjoying it and is well and happy within herself then I think that sounds great.

As she gets a bit older, she may need to cut back a bit in order to get her schoolwork done, but she's not at that age yet and that can be very individual (some need more time than others for schoolwork, some need more downtime than others etc).

Your son and granddaughter have obviously been through a horrendous time. It sounds like they're doing great.

Maybe it's not a bad thing to keep herself occupied after losing her Mum.
We can only begin to imagine the effect this has had on her. 🙁

I had a schedule like that at her age. I was fine.

She's fit and healthy, there is no concern for that level of activity. Be glad it's not swimming - seriously swimmers do hours before school.

A third of 11 year olds in the UK are overweight so she may actually be a healty weight as well

Good for her! I wish I'd done sport at her age.