Extra curricular activities

[Igottastartthinkingbee]

DS is in reception. Before DS started school I thought we'd wait a while before signing him up for any extra curricular activities just to see how he settled and coped with school tiredness. The school have recently been running a couple of short after school courses which he wanted to do. Drama and dance. He was absolutely exhausted by doing them and his behaviour has been terrible. He also said he didn't enjoy them so he's stopped going.

However of the children I know in his class (about 70%) they all do something after school, swimming, gymnastics, football, ballet, etc, at least once a week. How do these kids manage it? DS seems to find school tiring enough on its own. He is one of the younger ones in the year but I wonder if it's normal that he just doesn't have the energy to do anything else. And is he really missing out? Or are all the other children doing too much? I don't want him to be left behind but also don't want to wipe him out either. Plus he's much nicer to live with when he's not shattered!

My DC have never managed them. Well...one DD did Brownies for a few years but she didn't begin till she was 7 going on 8. Neither have had much interest and claim to be "too busy"

They have hobbies they do at home or they just play outside with their mates now they're a bit bigger. DH takes them swimming and taught both to swim.

Your DS is still little. Try him with cubs when he's a bit older. 7 or so. If not cubs, see what he's interested in by then.

I tried to do this too (I have a May Y1 child now) but I decided not to try and keep up with everyone else just because they were doing it.

He is doing lots more things now, still gets tired but he is happier. He actually just dropped drama because he says he was too tired so I was fine with that, we tried and it didnt work. Not the end of the world.

It will all come so my only advice is dont try and do things just because everyone else is. Obviously push where you can as its good to expose to different things but your childs pace and tiredness levels will be your guide.

Or maybe the other children just aren't as tired by school. It is only some children who are tired out by school, the ones who aren't, are the ones who can do the other activities.

It might be related to physical fitness, and then you end up with a virtuous circle of extra physical activities making them fitter, which means they can do more etc. But then again there may also be other reasons, the amount of sleep kids need differs.

But yes, if he's too tired by the clubs, don't do them, try again when he's not so tired - but don't judge that other kids are doing too much. As you've noticed tired kids are no fun, few parents are going to encourage clubs when they just get the crap from it!

Don't forget that some of the dc will be 20% older than him
SOme dc just naturally have more energy than others.
That said, I don't think most dc need after school activities much before about 6 or 7, once they've had a couple of years of being at school.
I know all dc are different, but there's a reason things like Beavers start aged 6, and a lot of instrument teachers won't take dc until they are 7.

Mine did have a swimming lesson from when they started school, but nothing else at that age.

Thanks for the replies, glad to hear he's not the only one. I have beavers as a potential activity for a couple of years time and may start him swimming on a weekend instead.

Some children manage better with tiredness.

Dd1 managed a few short things after school.
Dd2 managed everything and would have done more if we could have fitted them in.
Ds managed very little.

Maybe it's a DS thing then witchend!

I was pondering this today, my ds turned 4 in January and starts school in September. At the moment he does trampolining and swimming and he loves both, it will be such a shame if he's too tired to do them.