Dd has just started year 1, last year she went to gymnastics one afternoon after school. She really enjoyed it but was always completely exhausted by the time we got home. Half way through the summer term I quit taking her as she was just too tired.
This year I have offered her a choice of music lessons, karate, gymnastics, trampolining club, ballet, swimming lessons and horse riding. She doesn't want to go to any of them as she says school is just too long and she's got no energy. She just wants to be home with me or have playdates. At home she's got plenty of spare energy and we often spend an hour after school in the playground so I think she might be able to cope.
Dh reckons that she really should be doing at least swimming lessons and maybe one other activity a week too, however I think that if she's happiest at home then that's absolutely fine and I'll just calmly wait for her to get a sudden desire to start doing street dance or pottery or whatever sometime in the future
How essential are these afternoon clubs for young dc? I notice that most of her classmates go to at least one extra thing a week, some go to at least 4... should I be forcing her to go when she clearly states she doesn't want to?