How many after school clubs do your children do - Reception

[noseynoonoo]

My DD who is in Reception goes to French and swimming after shcool classes. She does French because she asked to do it and swimming because I think it is an important life skill. She loves both.

On the way into school today another mum was telling me about her son doing French, Cantonese, piano and swimming. 2 other mums were talking about Kumon maths - but one thought she hold out until her DD was 5yrs old. Others have been talking about arranging tutors for the 11+!

I am comfortable with what my DD does. I know she'd happily do more but I don't want to push her too hard. However, I have to admit there is a bit of me that wonders that she is going to lose out. We hope she will go to the local independent secondary school and I worry that she won't be able to compete because she has 'just' had a normal education to that point without all the extras and tutors etc.

So I'd like people to reassure me that what I'm doing is right and that she'll still be able to pass her 11+ unless there are people who think actually I am storing up trouble - however, one thing is for sure, she won't be learning Cantonese and doing Kumon maths every day!

My 4 year old DD does bugger all after a day in reception. She is shattered. We do ballet at the weekends. I also dont do endless play dates. She is 4.She needs to chill after school. She has learnt from her ASD older brother that quiet downtime after school is an important lifeskill.

Either that or I am a hopeless parent...

My dd does ballet and swimming and has a play date once a week. It's too much tbh, and we try to put the plays ate of til the weekend as she's too exhausted.

None here. She often goes away with DH at the weekend to relatives but no after school activities or classes. She (and DS) would fall asleep in the car on the way to anything and it would clash with teatime. I will look at either some sort of dancing or swimming on Saturday mornings when she seems more interested in it though.

We don't do play dates either whilst other parents seem to be taking home another child every day. Every so often they'll say, 'We haven't had your DD round yet' (like they're going through the reigister) and I change the subject.

It feels like an arms race with each parent going for ultimate supremacy!

I've got two DD's in reception at the moment. They go swimming with school , but i'd probably arrange for them to do that if it wasn't available. At the moment they just go round to friends' houses and home. However, when my older two were their age (DD and DS) , between them they did a music class, football and dance. They still had time to chill out and they both still do after-school activities that are similar.

swimming once a week

After school

DS goes to computer club one day a week after school, but does football, swimming and piano at the weekend.

DD goes to a general music class and swimming during the week, ballet and football at weekend.

Playdates to me are the equivalent of me spending the entire day with my work colleagues then having them back to my house to spend the entire evening with them. I learnt from bitter bitter experience that playdates do not a social child make (ASD DS!). We do a couple a term and DD has perfectly normal social skills and a perfectly normal friendship base.

none.

DD is so young (not 5 until late June) and gets really tired. That and lack of money mean that we agreed not to send her to any this year. Will reconsider in year 1 especially if I go FT at work and will have more money (DH is a SAHD due to health)

It's a shame as I would love her to do drumming or football, and she did say that one day she'd like to do Spanish (sodding Dora!) but she's not complaining of feeling left out. I think I feel it more because lots of the yummy mummies - we are in a fairly wealthy area - look at me like when I say DD doesn't do anything like that.

Mind you they do the same look when I mention buses too

Nothing at all. DD2 is an August birthday and the youngest in her class. School is too much for her without adding anything else in. (DD1 on the other hand, who is nearly 7, only has one after school day free, which is too much, but she won't give anything up!)

DD did gymnastics, swimming and rainbows afterschool and ballet/tap on a saturday in reception.

She was one of the older ones and used to a long day at nursery.

I found her much more tired at beginning of yr 1 when the real work started

"So I'd like people to reassure me that what I'm doing is right and that she'll still be able to pass her 11+"

What you're doing is right IMO.
Impossible to predict 11+. It will depend on your/her choice of school, her level by then, etc. You may need to prepare for it but certainly not in Reception!!! And they don't test cantonese! Preparation during Year 5 does it. Let her be happy, chill out, learn how to use her imagination, learn how to deal with boredom and free time. Those are skills that overbooked 4 and 5 year olds do not develop. They are precious in life.

In Yr term one DS just did dance one afternoon a week.
In term 2 we added swimming on a second afternoon. and occasional cricket if he wasn't too tired on cricket night.

He only did 2 terms of Yr R. Now in Y1 1st term its cookery club once a half term, dance weekly, swimming weekly and a Saturday morning sport fortnightly.

DD is 4 and in reception. She does ballet and swimming on the weekend and wants to start gymnastics soon too, but she doesn't do any after school clubs. The poor mite is out of the house from 7:45am until 4:15pm (she goes on the school bus) and - by the time she's had a wind down, done her reading and other homework, had her dinner and supper - it's bed time!

Dd2 is nearly 5, she does ballet and swimming after school, will soon add rainbows to the mix. We are out though more as dd1 ballet in different place and rainbows not same day as brownies. We do some homework in the week but more at weekend. Dh likes a free weekend, but the compromise is that they need to do some reading etc then.

I don't think extra academic lessons are necessary at the moment, though dd1 wants to learn piano so might enquire about the ones they offer in school time.

DS (Reception) does tennis after school and gardening club just started, but that's only for a term. This is plenty! I am considering swimming on Saturday mornings as I think he needs to learn to swim and maybe Beavers at some point but I think two things after school is more than enough really.

Ds is 4y10m and does nothing after school! He's shattered after a day in Reception. I'd like him to do something maybe in year 1 but am not pushing it. DD didn't either till year 1.

DD is now 5 and we've just started swimming lessons, not via the school. That's all we do, plus the occasional (1 or 2 every other week or so) play date. I don't think every minute of a child's free time should be occupied with organised activities for them, nevermind whether they can handle doing more or not.

I have dd & ds2 in reception class.

dd does dancing on a Monday and swimming on a Wednesday and after Easter will do Rainbows on a Thursday

ds2 does swimming on a Wednesday and will start Beavers in Y1 when he is 6.

playdates aren't very often especially as they usually have a friend over each at the same time as they are in the same class and three 4 year olds are not a good combination

mine does none after school and swimming at weekend

None in reception but now in Yr 1 she does swimming once a week and the occasional playdate.

DD has had two friends around for one hour so far and they came together as they are twins. As for activities after school, she doesn't do any. She goes to the DGPs two evenings a week after school with her Y3 while I'm at work and I think that is enough. She needs time to relax, hang out with us and do something she wants to do, like baking, colouring, playing games or just watching tv.

She does do Ballet on Saturday morning though and has just started swimming on Saturday afternoon, that seems a bit much to me but she loves them.

Like others have said, they don't test Canontese, Swmming or Piano at the 11+ and Kumon maths does not make good mathmeticians.

Our school has a no homework in the holidays policy and all homework is easy to get done in time for a free weekend. It is a great way to do things as our kids get to spend lots of family time and also want to read and learn for themselves, which is much more important IMHO.

One swimming lesson a week.

It's a PITA doing it after school / work but I wanted to keep the weekends free.

dd1 does swimming on Mondays. She is in after school club (messing aournd with her mates) on Tues and Thur while I work, and goes to Grandma's from school on Fridays until I finish work. Weds is her only "free" afternoon. She has homework every night. She is very tired, and though she would like to start a dance/drama thing locally, i cannot see her being able to manage doing any more for at least another year.

Last term (DS was only doing half days in Reception) we did swimming and Forest School. This term we aren't doing anything. He's now full time and exhausted! (despite being Jan birthday) We will try and get going with swimming - hopefully at weekend after half term. Let her enjoy her childhood - play at home and as shehulk says they need to learn how to deal with boredom and free time!