To ask how many hobbies your Primary age children do per week?

[MaryShelley1818]

DS is nearly 6 (Year 1) and does swimming one night a week and Karate one night.
DD is 2 (3 in a couple of months) and does "ballet" on a Saturday morning.

I go to all the hobbies while DH has the other child - he absolutely pulls his weight and does everything for us but I enjoy mixing with other parents and the social aspect more and he doesn't so both happy.

Last night I got an email from Scouts (Beavers) offering DS a place to start in January - he's keen to do this so I will of course facilitate it.

But....it feels like a lot. DD will start swimming lessons too next year and in time may choose other hobbies too. How do I do 3 each per week?? Or is this just normal life with kids.

For context - we both work full time, and also have very busy weekends - just family days out, swimming, parks etc

DS does swimming club once a week. About once a month he does a forest school type thing on a Saturday morning.

I try not to load his schedule too much tbh. He's neurodiverse and needs a lot of downtime to wind down after school.

Don’t do anything that makes your life harder.

DS does three sports, plus swimming, plus chess, plus guitar lessons, plus matches at weekends, but he’s 11 and we live in the city centre so he can get himself to most things. Otherwise, no.

I think parents who run themselves ragged for this kind of thing are a bit mad and/or socially aspirant, in a way that means they worry about their child being ‘left behind’.

Mine are the same ages as yours OP.

DS (5, a young Year 1) does football, swimming and piano.

DD (just turned 3) isn’t at nursery yet so does some activities during the day with her nanny but they don’t count really. I have no intention of starting her at anything until she goes into reception, and then I plan to get her doing similar to DS.

Surely ballet for a 2 year old is a total waste of time and money?!

DDs 10 and 8 each do 4 hobbies—theatre, gymnastics, tennis, and music (this is the most intense as it entails instrument lessons and practice, band/orchestra, and music theory). Thankfully they like the same things. 😅They go swimming with school, so I’m glad they don’t need to add that on top of everything else!

Ds is 11 and does cricket, football and boxing

dd is 8 and does drama, swimming, football and netball. And music lessons in school. She will stop the swimming once she’s proficient so then it will be 3 each. It’s quite a lot as the sports have training and matches

DS aged 12 football x 2, hockey 1-2x per week, swimming, triathlon

DS aged 8, rugby , violin , nature club, Lamda, swimming

DS (14 yrs) swimming and air cadets and football
DD1 (10yrs) swimming, scouts and karate
DD2 (9yrs) swimming, scouts and gymnastics
DD3 (6yrs) swimming, scouts and gymnastics

Two bioys ages 8 and 10:
Winter: Taekwondo, rugby soccer, swimming
Summer: Taekwondo, tennis, cricket, swimming

2 year old does nothing

I've only got DS5 and he does music on a Saturday and swimming on a Monday. He's also on the waiting list for a performing arts class.

Y2 - musical instrument lesson, swimming, tennis & football.
Reception: swimming, ballet, tennis.

I have 3 in primary. Eldest does two activities, twins do the same two activities plus swimming lessons. It’s a real juggle tbh.

This is child dependent. My eldest loves being busy.
DD7 does 5 (7 including guitar and choir at school)
DD5 does 2

Sorry I assumed that putting "ballet" in speech marks made it obvious it wasn't real ballet.
It's called "mini tutus" it's for 1-4yr olds and is a lovely fun music class where they dance with Mammy (in DD's case) and do some little pointy toes, and other moves but just for fun. She absolutely loves it, it's her favourite thing in the world and therefore worth every penny.
We tried a proper dance class and it was full of stage mam's, it was awful so we never went back. She loves Angelina Ballerina books and so now feels like she's a real ballerina.

We've got 2 girls, 2 years apart so they do a lot of the same activities, same place, either same time or consecutive which helps with logistics. They've got swimming, Stagecoach and Cubs at the moment which is about right.

I work slightly shorter days 3 days per week so I can do school pickup and facilitate clubs.

For me I find it better to have a busy week and an empty weekend. So no-one is rushing around on Saturday morning, there is never any question of whether they can attend parties, and if they want to sleep until lunchtime they can.

My son 7, does climbing, beavers, swimming and 2 music classes a week. He has 3 no activity days where if he wants we do play dates….

I've got a godson, 10, who does kickboxing, swimming, youth club, orchestra, choir and violin as well as football. He told me he wanted to learn piano too but mummy and daddy wouldn't let him, and actually he only has Thursday nights free. I observed mildly it seemed rather a lot and he informed me he was living his best life.!!!! 😂

Mine’s 10 so quite a bit older than yours, but learns 2 instruments, plays 2 sports, swims, does scouts and drama. He’s busy but loves it all! In Y1 he only did 1 instrument, swimming, 1 sport & scouting though.

I have 4 all girls 13, 12, 5 and 2

13 yr old - 4 dance classes, gymnastics, swimming, volunteers on a sat pm

12 yr old - swimming and golf (gave up dancing last year)

5 yr old - 3 dance classes, rainbows, swimming

2 yr old - swimming

We don’t have to stay for any classes now apart from 2 yr old swimming. We both work - me full time, husband 80% and only have one car. We spend most of our lives ferrying them around and our lives are a military operation - I kind of think that’s what you’re signing up for when you decide to have so many kids though!!

DD5 in year 1 - swimming, gymnastics and dance.
DD2 - nothing and I won’t start her on any until she is 3/4.
I think that’s plenty and wouldn’t do anymore. I also take DD to all her hobbies while my DH stays at home with the toddler, same reason he doesn’t like the social aspects…although dance is drop and pick up so we get a bit of peace and quiet.

DS (10) does swimming lessons on Saturday mornings.

DS (8) does swimming lessons on Saturday mornings and piano lessons on Tuesday evenings.

DS7 does swimming, football, tennis and beavers.

DD4 does swimming, tennis and ballet.

In Y4 my DD2 did so much it was mad, football at school twice a week, swimming once a week, kickboxing once a week, Brownies once a week and then football at the weekend too.
Thankfully at 15 she's cut it down to just swimming and kickboxing
DD1 didn't do a lot. Brownies and swimming once a week. She did do kickboxing for a bit but gave up after a year. At 17 the most exercise she gets is going down town with her friends.
DS doesn't do anything organised yet but is only 3 with additional needs so we'll see what happens.

DC1 is 6 (in Y2) and awaiting assessment for ASD & ADHD. He masks in school and tends to crave down time at home, is very resistant to going out, also gets very anxious about new things, so we haven't pushed clubs. He does swimming lessons, and we had to persevere to find a class that was a good fit. We have tried another club but he wasn't keen and we haven't pushed it. It's a shame because it's an activity he enjoys. He's also on the waiting list for Beavers - the same one a friend goes to - but if and when he ever gets a place, I don't know if we'll manage to persuade him to try it and if he'll enjoy it. I do think if he could overcome his anxiety he'd like it.

DC2 turned 3 quite recently and I used to take her to a toddler gymnastic class once a week but stopped it because the teacher changed and she didn't seem to be so engaged with it any more. I've been wondering about swimming lessons but cba tbh, I take her swimming for fun most weeks (I work part time so have time with her in the week).

It is a lot to fit in if you start doing multiple activities for multiple children and I'm not sure how we'll manage if and when DC2 wants to do more things. It would be helpful if we could coordinate swimming lessons, that's the one activity I want them to do as swimming is so important.

Like an episode of Motherland.