OK - any renegades out there who do NOTHING

[VoluptuaGoodshag]

Just wondering. The more I read and see the more I think young kids just do too many after school activities.

My DD is 5 and she is always knackered after school (it's a mile long walk there and back).

I have arranged swimming lessons as I believe it is very important and I will make one other concession for her to try something that she might like but I refuse to do any more. That is two things for the week and if you chuck in a couple of play dates then the week is almost full already.

I also refuse to do any extra stuff at weekends are these are sacred and this is the time when we all do something as a family.

Any others who do similar or less? Has it damaged your child beyond measure as judging by some of the looks I get you'd think I was bordering on child cruelty.

DS is 5 and goes to gym club after school one night a week. He has irregular playdates. There also seems to be about one party every weekend at the moment.

He will be having swimming lessons as well, but that is it.

I like the word renegade by the way

I thenk you

DS1 is 4 (reception) and we do nothing organised after school.
I don't want to this year - we will probably do swimming lessons next year but he can already swim so it would be more about keeping up the practice.

I wasn't allowed to do any activites as a child and it did affect my confidence and ability to relate to my friends as they were all gossiping about the new tennis coach and the girl at dancing who fancied so and so.

I think its fine when they are very young but when she starts asking you should let her take part in things.

At 5, just swimming is enough and tbh when ds2 started school even that was almost too much for him.

My dd did loads of stuff at one stage (and I still felt guilty that I hadn't put her name down in time to do Rainbows/Brownies ) but thankfully it is down to one thing now that she has done all her swimming awards...

At 5 my dd did after school club 2 nights per week as I work - so was totally knakered and i thought it was to much to do other out of school activities.

Now though she is 10 and she has done swimming lessons for a while and now those have stopped she has been going to swimming club for a year and is just about to start lifesaving aswell. Also she does drama on a saturday morning and there is a local church youth club that is free and she does visit that regular when it is on for an hour and a quarter on a friday night (that though isn't always attended but mostly) three and a half hours per week

dd yr 2 (aged 6) is tired enough at the end of the day.

When she has more of burning desire to do soemthing, or takes an interest then i will go with it. Altho cost is also a big consideration for me.

As i work ft, my dd (4.10)stays at school til 5 - 5.30 so is always too knackered in the week. On Saturday she goes to a gym class, and i too am looking for some swimming lessons. I guess when she is bigger she will opportunity to do lots of things on a Wednesday PM (no school) as this time is set aside for these kind of things. V. good idea really.

I agree with you MMJ. I know of two kids who have about five extra activities a week. But they seem to find it really difficult to amuse themselves. We were babysitting for them once and they kept saying they were bored (this was on a caravan site with tons of room to roam free). Kept expecting us to create entertainment for them.

I'll also admit that I'm not the sort of person to deal with all the taxi-ing in a calm way. I just get really flustered. Have tried DD at dancing but she got bored by it and just wanted to play with her pal. Also DS is a year and a half younger and always wanted to join in her class but was too young. Meant I had to keep him entertained as well.

ds does swimming lessons at school (year one). And a music group on Saturday mornings that gives them a grounding before they choose an instrument, if they want to. And has someone round to play once or twice a week. That's it.

I think far too many children are ferried about here there and everywhere and have no time to relax, or work out how to do stuff all on their own without some adult instructing them.

lol

Bump for afternoon crowd

Sorry afternoon crowd are ferring their children around to afternoon activities

Just swimming this term (Friday evenings) plus the occasional attendance at Sunday school (ds loves the church organ ). Not used to having entire weekend free so it will be interesting to see what we actually end up doing. Am planning to expose ds to a bit of 'kulture' - art galleries etc, which haven't done since he reached the age at which I could no longer pin him in his pushchair!

I wish!

Mind you, even after ft school and 3 after school clubs per week (all physical and all 1 hr long) my 4yo still is not tired. (I am beginning to think she may be hyperactive - it is not normal to have that much energy is it?)

ds1 did swimming lessons in reception.
now in yr1 and he does beavers (had dropped swimming).
Not other organised activities, nothing at the weekend.