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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Extra curricular activities - year one child

18 replies

Gorran · 05/01/2011 18:37

If your child wanted to do an activity every night after school and financially this was ok, would you allow them to?

My DD currently dances twice a week and also has a swimming lesson another evening. She wants to start another dance class, and also take up drama/musical theatre.

She's not the sort of child to easily tire, and copes well with her schoolwork (is very able) etc., so I'm sure she'd actually be fine in herself - but I'm just not sure about doing something 5 nights a week...

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donnie · 05/01/2011 18:42

sounds a bit much to me. My dd2 is also in year 1; she couldn't cope with all of that! she does 2 after school activities.

allnightlong · 05/01/2011 18:43

Yes as long as it was the childs choice and homework doesn't suffer then go ahead.

NewYearNewPants · 05/01/2011 18:44

You know your child best, but for us, no. My Year 1 child doesn't do any activities after school. He has two different music lessons football and swimming at the weekend, but after a whole day at school, I think he really needs to eat, rest and sleep! Eventually, they get homework, too, so have to factor that in.

katiestar · 05/01/2011 18:44

I think out of school activities trump homework at age 5!!

Original poster

Gorran · 05/01/2011 18:47

Thanks all. Fwiw, it feels too much to me, but then I don't have the boundless energy of a 5 year old!

I'm leaning towards one extra activity (so 4 evenings a week) - we won't have an evening available to have friends over or for her to go to their houses otherwise! One of the current activities is at the school, and finishes at 4.15pm so not too late an evening...The others will be 5.30/6pm though which does seem a bit late to be doing it 3 times a week...

OP posts:

activate · 05/01/2011 18:48

kids need time to be bored too - that's how they develop imagination

important at this age to ensure that everythign isn't handed to her and she gets down time where she has to make her own fun up

not about being tired at all

orienteerer · 05/01/2011 18:50

I'd say no if it was me.

smileyinmummy2011 · 05/01/2011 19:02

it's great to allow children to have a grat time at clubs and chances to meet new friends but i'd limit it to four a week and try not to get her into clubs she's not too serious about on saturday-they should be for family time.

PoppetUK · 05/01/2011 22:31

I would say no and agree with activate. Kids need to learn how to just be to.

GrimmaTheNome · 05/01/2011 22:36

It does help to have a couple of evenings free for scheduling playdates

Maybe if she's really keen on some of these things you could do some of it saturday morning instead of weeknights?

ninamag · 05/01/2011 22:41

Yes
My dd1 did loads of dance/ music/ swimming classes when she was in year 1. She is now year 8 and dances 5 nights a week. She has plenty of time for friends and homework and she doesn't have spare time for hanging around the park with most of her tutor group.
It's good to have hobbies and interests she will let you know if it is too much.

montysorry · 05/01/2011 22:44

I totally agree with activate. They need to be bored occasionally so they learn how to handle it. They need time just playing in their room amusing themselves otherwise they grow up craving constant stimulation which won't make for a happy or easy life.

Extremelychocolatey · 05/01/2011 23:35

They can be bored after the class or at weekends

zoovet · 06/01/2011 12:44

Why not? My DS (Y1) goes to football, swimming and karate. He doesn't get tired. It's better than staying at home and watching TV

EcoLady · 06/01/2011 19:24

If she's up to it that's great, but wouldn't some variety be nice? How about Rainbows?

magicmummy1 · 06/01/2011 20:38

I agree with the majority here - five nights a week is probably too much. I think activate is right in saying that they shouldn't always be doing organised activities because they need time to be bored in order to learn how to entertain themselves.

My dd is also in year 1 and sounds very similar to yours, in that she doesn't tire easily and wants to join everything! She is currently very eager to try karate and she also wants to learn the piano. However, she isn't prepared to give up dance, swimming, or rainbows etc, and so I have told her no for the time being.

elphabadefiesgravity · 06/01/2011 20:52

Not in Year 1, no. In Year 1 dd danced one night a week and did Musical theatre& speech & drama on a Saturday morning plus a couple of school run clubs.

She is now in Year 4 and last September we allowed to her to add another night of dance and piano lessons to her schedule. There are times when hs is doing something every night, she has been in a couple of amateur and professional shows and done a couple of local festivals and it is tiring.

I run a childrens part time theatre school and there are some children who do too much.

stoatsrevenge · 06/01/2011 20:52

I don't think we should assume that children need 'time to be bored'. They just need time to be themselves. If they have a continuous round of organised activities - all prescribed and planned by adults - they are not being given chance to introspect and to spend time with themselves. All of the activities mentioned on this thread involve the children being instructed by adults - none of them involve creative thought.

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