Are you making your children tired with all these activities????

tired??
only on the days I pick them up from childminder at 7pm, home 7.15, after which they still need their diner,
an extra hour after school with some activities does "nothing" to them. And leaves time for playing with friends, watch tv, little bit of home work etc

Dd did show a special love of dancing so we let her join the local ballet school aged 4. She only did one class at first. At the most she did three classes (ballet, national and drama) all on a Saturday morning: this was the extent of her actitivies, though she did also learn an instrument at school for a short time.

She's had a break from all activities due to disability, but has just (aged 12) taken up ballet again- one class- on a Wednesday.
Not sure if this counts as a leisure activity though: it's been recommended as physio and replaces a weekly 3 hour round trip to the local hospital

Ds (8) does football one afternoon after school and is just about to start one weekly ballet class, again on a Wednesday afternoon.

(They've both done swimming classes in the summer holidays and are competent swimmers.)

So one or at most two activities a week. Have no plans to go beyond this.

Partly because of money, partly because I don't feel everything has to be organised. I do know dd would like to do more dancing if she gets well enough, but we'll see. , And ds probably would like to join the Young Archaeologists at some stage.

The activities they do have been their own idea, not suggested by me or their Dad.

Both of mine are getting to the age where they need to have an input in how the family spends its time- though they understand very well about such things as financial restraints and are very good at not grumbling.

Sorry long post!

my ds (8) has done football, Beaver scouts, guitar, diving, drama (Perform), and had a burst of judo and swimming lessons.

I think it's really hard to do loads of actvities BUT some kids seem to really suit it and some don't. I think you need to weigh up the following questions:

How stressful are the various journeys for you and child/children?
Is it straight after school on the premises or not?
How much prep?
How dedicated/passionate the child feels?
How great the teaching/leading of the activity?
How busy are your week ends?
Does the child get proper 'down time' to just kill time and hang out and veg?

I know parents who say loads of activities a week is bad and some that say it's great. I think it depends on the family, the school and the child and each combination is unique and therefore a different answer would apply.

My ds was an only child and I was not working so it was fairly easy for me to take him to loads of after school things. Now I have a small baby so we've cut down to Scouts and football and choir which feels much less insane particularly as 2 of those are on school premises. But we are going to take on one more thing either drama or a martial art soon. He misses the stimulation I think.

I am influenced by not having had many activities at all and wanting ds (and now dd when she's bigger) to have the opportunity to have fun and learn new things. For a child that isn't a massive achiever at school, it's great to have them shine outside and build their confidence plus giving them different teachers, maybe ones who appreciate boys and what their strengths are.

Also there is a real problem with this generation of kids just becoming couch potatoes because of how difficult it is to play outside and be free range. I would like ds to have exercise entrenched in him so he doesn't become a great fat sofapudding!

DD(7.9) is fine I'm I one who's tired keeping up with her.
Monday- After school running club
Tuesday- Violin lesson (school lunch time)
Wednesday- Afer school Textiles club and swimming.
Thursday- After school Maths club (no not a pushy mother, she loves maths and chose to do it.)
Friday-Free
Saturday- Every fortnight riding
Sunday- Swimming and BMX club.
Plus homework Monday and Thursday.
In bed for 7.30 very rare to be a sleep before 8.30.

P.S. Bedtime is 7pm - strictly.

DD 1 (5 and in reception) does 2 hobbies..

Two nights a week she does gymnastics after school. One night we have friends over for playing, one night they just chill at my mum's house and one night we go to soft play / park in summer.

On Saturdays she has ballet, tap and modern for 1 1/2 hours but that doesn't start till 11, so we still have an easy morning.

Sundays, we sometimes go to kids cinema club together, otherwise we just chill.

Homework is always done at the weekend, so we have no worries there and I do not find her getting tired or stressed at all, if she did we wouldn't do it.

DD2 (2) has two hobbies - ballet (half an hour) and gymnastics (3/4 hour) two afternoons a week.

Its not stressful, or hard work and in fact is rather chilled. Both DDs thrive on their hobbies, and have learnt balance and skills etc. DD2 (2.3) is really good at skipping , jumping, roly polys, walking on tip toes and so on...) I think they get loads out of it, and given that schoolwork is sooooo easy, its not a stress at all. I think it is nice to see a child achieve and learn, and when DD1 gets a new badge, or learns a new skill, she is positively brimming with excitement. Plenty of years for worrying about homework and academics imho - I think the early school years should be about having fun, enjoying themselves, learning new skills and gaining confidence... hobbies can help that (has really helped my two) and so in my opinion is worth its weight in gold.
But that's just my view!

DS2, who is 8, does tae-kwon-do one evening a week, swimming one evening a week and Saturday morning sport (rugby or cricket depending on time of year). That's enough, frankly - he is also learning guitar but he has lessons at school and practises a bit at home with DS1, who also plays.

The need for extra activities beyond those offered by school is largely dependent on the range of activities offered by school - if you feel that your child's needs are met by school, at six years old it is just fine not to do anything else.

Swimming for example is truly essential, so if school isn't offering swimming by age 5 you should probably ensure that your child is learning to swim as an extra activity.

I think after school activities are more important than homework at this age [bucking-the-trend emoticon]

dd is 4 and just started full time school this term

monday she does taekwondo 6:30-7:30
tuesday-free
wednesday-afterschool art club 3-3:45
thursday after school cheerleading 3-3:45 taekwondo 6:30-7:30
friday -free
saturday -free unless taekwondo seminar
sunday free- unless taekwondo competition

on taekwondo nights she is in bed by 8 rest of week its 6:30

this is enough for her and she loves every minute of it ds wants to start when he is old enough in oct aswell.Its not all about the activity its about the teaching that happens in taekwondo aswell. she is tired some mornings but that just means she goes to be a bit earlier that night or has a sleep on way home from school.

Monday dd1 goes to her nana's for tea and gets her bath there. she is home and in bed by 8pm latest.

Tues: she has her normal dance class at 4pm so we go straight after school and she eats a snack while she is waiting for class to start. After this she has her comps class 5pm till 6pm. Tea is usually something quick and frozen which is served at 6:30pm she can watch tv for half and hour and then it's bath and bed by 8pm

Wed: is Ballet 4pm till 5pm. Dinner is at 6pm and she can watch tv/play untill 7pm then it's bath and bed

Thurs: the same as Wed but is Jazz and Tap

Fri: The same as monday but a different Nana and she is allowed to stay up late and watch a dvd with me if I am not working

Sat: Acro is 12pm till 1pm then into town for lunch and back to dancing school for Musical theatre 2pm till 3pm. After that she can play/go to the park/chill out. She can stay up late and usually if I am in we will play her wii games together as a family.

Sun: Nana's for sunday lunch. She then comes home to have her tea at about 6pm then it bath and bed.

I am knackered just typing that but dd1 laps it up and enjoys every minute. I don't know where she finds her energy. ATM she is off dancing for the week and is already planning swimming and ice skating trips to fill in the time.

She is 5 btw. She has always been a very very active child.

Redwood - I hav e only read your op but are convinced you are right - at your dd's age.

I have also done all these silly activities - apart from swimming I am convinced they do more harm thaan good. My dd3 aged 5 is very bright and I htought cuold do wiht extra stuff after school. So I dutifully dragged her to ballet and swimming and some other stuff - she enjoyd whilst there but tantrumed near bedtime - she was just too tired with no chill out time. Was terribly hard on me too carting her and osmetimes younger kidds around just to watch her cavort in a leotard for one hour and then have to quickly slot in homelwrk, bed and bath. For waht? Soooooo glad we don't do any of that stuff anymore!

Yes, my dc (8, 7 and 4) love extra-curricular activities but do get tired if they do too many. They do tend to self-regulate and give some up when they feel tired - so they opt in and out of swimming, drama, sewing club, and other sports clubs each term, which keeps the activities manageable.

We avoid regular weekend classes though. And prioritise those which happen at school directly after school hours, as that is the easiest to fit in. So they do lots of after-school clubs and not very much else.

Oooh just noticed this thread - yay for the non-activists!

I have mixed feelings about it all. In my heart of hearts I feel that taking them to the park after school, (very near, and frequented by schoolfriends) is just
as good as any other social, physical activity I might enrol them in. That said ds1 loves Cubs, and did Beavers before that. Dd goes to Beavers once a week, nothing else. Dd2(6) nothing. He doesn't want to.

We are lucky because school has some afterschool sports for yrs 2-6 until 4.30 once a week. Not synchronised tho.

On Saturdays, we have a very full programme of music, ballet, swimming but it seems like great fun on Saturday, rather than too much. Sometimes ballet is dropped, or swimming according to how tired out each child is.

DS is 5 and goes to gym club once a week.

dd is just 6 and does ballet on Weds after school, cycling club on Saturday mornings, 1 hour swimming lesson on Saturday afternoon and swimming club on Sunday afternoon. She has no homework and I aim for her to be in bed by 8 but she's rarely asleep before 8:30. She loves the classes she does, especially swimming, and would be very happy if she could do more but I've told her from now on it'll be one in, one out ...

ds2 is just 9 and also does cycling and swimming on Saturday and will be starting cricket (his passion) next season on Sunday mornings - homework once a week, bedtime half 8 and he has no wish to do anything else, but loves what he does

ds1 is 11 and virtually lives in the pool

I have 3 DC, age 4-9. The 2 older DC do one after-school club/week, which is about as low stress on all of us as possible. And that's IT. They really aren't up to doing anything else and school (which is just an ordinary state primary, not much homework). They get their fill of structured time at school.

Yes. Am knackered. Children are too.

DD is 5 and does a 30 min swimming lesson on a weds and although she hasn't started yet will be doing Rainbows. That' all, no plans to increase her activities as I think she would find it too much. DS is 3 and does - nothing , we have just moved to the area though!

Planning to take him swimming once a week and maybe find a music group we could both go to.

DD (6) does gym on a Tuesday, Swimming on a Thursday and Dancing Saturday mornings, it only gets exhausting when she has a dance competition or show then there's LOADS of extra practice.

DD is 5.5 and does Rainbows and Trampolining. And I think that's enough as she does get tired. I wouldn't want her not to do any, and I like her to do one that is exercise. They're pretty soon after school, so we still have time to get her to bed for 7pm. We keep the weekends free to do our own thing at the moment.

LOL thats true it is me that is exausted

Mon Rugby then drama.
Tue Dancing 3 classes. Drama then Youth Club.
wed Gymnastics then Brownies, I help out too.
Thur off but they see their Dad.
Fri Swimming. Scouts.
Sat occasional club.

Thats 2 kids BTW before you call social services. Hoping to drop 2 actvivites soon.

Dd was never too tired to do her ex-curricular activities at 6: ballet, swimming, Sunday school. It was me who used to get worn out.

ds has clubs at school for half an hour three lunch times a week, cooking class after school every two weeks and goes to a fencing club on saturdays for an hour. I don't think I could cope with any more. He has homework during the week and we sometimes don't get home until 6pm, depending on the traffic.