Logistics of after-school activities

[Sequins]

We have 2 DC, one 4, one 1, and the oldest is starting to look at some of his friend's activities with interest.

We are happy for him to do a couple of things max. a week as more seems too tiring. We don't want to sign up for any activities on a Saturday as weekends are valuable family time (although we'll make an exception for swimming lessons on Saturday). Is this a bit mean?

What I am wondering is how does this work in practice? The local activities are not at school but nearby so no driving needed.

Do I take DS to something and leave him there and then come and pick him up with DD? What if we have more DC? What happens when the younger DC have different activities, do we say, no, you're all going to do the same sport and the same instrument or whatever? Presumably that doesn't work as classes for different age groups will be at different times anyway.

Should we be thinking ahead and trying to get the DC interested in activities which tend to have extra activities in the summer holidays?

I feel I may be being a bit dim but I don't get how it seems normal for children to do so many extra-curricular activities. Thanks!

bump

You let the children select what they want to do with the proviso that it all fits into a weekly schedule (i.e. you can't drop one off at Rainbows at the same time as t'other has to be at football on the other side of the town).

Then you spend your life ferrying them around to various things!

I would stop worrying about the future for a start. Is there anything particular that your DS wants to do?

I'd put money on all children not wanting to do the same thing so you just have to be organised. And a lot of activities you leave children at, particularly as they get older.

Not all kids do loads of activties

Here we have chess club on a Monday for DS1
Football for DS2 on Sat & Sun

But then mine go to after school club because I work three days so by the time we have factored in a friend or two back then that is the whole week.

Don't fall into if my child is not doing swimming, football, karate and trumpet classes then I am letting my poor darling down

He likes the idea of Tae Kwondo (sp?) - has done it once but it was bang in the middle of Sat morning so we weren't keen, but it is also on on Mon evenings now.

4 is very little for EC activities and many schools don't let children below yr 3 do after school clubs.

DD did Rainbows though.
Her new school now asked her to make a choice of two clubs after school and I thought it meant you would get one of those 2. Oh no - she got both so we now do swimming on a Monday, her club on Tuesday, wednesday off, her club Thursday and riding on a sunday every other week.

Poor Ds only does the swim club but he's not allowed to do after school yet.

After xmas - dd will only be allowed 1 after school club as it's really annoying walking home and having to go back to get her half an hour later!

Don't knock Saturday activities! Great for getting dad involved (and taking the younger one along) and you some time off!

Thanks hocuspontas but DH is involved already, we like to go out as the 4 of us e.g. park or swimming or museum + cafe / pub lunch is typical Sat morning. Neither DH nor I are looking for time off as it feels like a holiday day for us and there are enough times we have to change our plans due to DC illness or family events etc. anyway. Is this weird of us?