How many activities does your Year 2 child do after school?

[AtheneNoctua]

I just want to make sure I don't push her too hard. But I also don't want her to miss out on things she might benfit from learning. Please tell me what you think of the schedule.

School (obviously) 8:50 - 3:15 M-F

Mon lunchtime - free play
Tues lunchtime - choir*
Wed lunchtime - book club*
Thurs lunchtime - school council*
Fri lunchtime - free play

Mon after school - 30 min violin lesson* followed by Kumon Math (also about 30 min)
Tues - tennis
Wed - nothing after school
Thurs - nothing after school
Fri - dance (ballet, modern, and tap - 3 classes back to back)

Items marked with "*" we are considering but have not yet committed.

[twinklytoes]

haven't decided on lunchtime clubs yet - DD wants to go as she couldn't last year. just waiting to hear more about them.

after school its swimming and rainbows and then she'll pick up arts and crafts and gymnastics at school. these will still mean she's home just after 4 with two late nights for the other two activities. DD couldn't cope with more than two late nights at the moment.

[wilbur]

DD does gym club after school on Tues and Rainbows on Wednesday. She possibly is going to have a swimming lesson on Sat mornings. She also does choir as a school lunchtime club.

Last year she used to do violin too, but wants to do piano now so we have stopped those lessons. It was a bit much with the practising, so we are not getting a piano teacher (I'm trying to find one that will come to our house and do a lesson for both ds1 and dd) until she's settled in Y2.

I think you have to look at your dd and decide how tired she gets and how much time is lost in to-ing and fro-ing. If it's a club or class done at school and carries straight on from lessons, it's less of a disruption than schlepping across town to a specific venue. Also, you have to remember that there could be more homework in Y2, and certainly there will be in Y3 so do you want to load her up with activities that you may then have to drop in order to prioritise school work? Just glancing at your full list, I would say that's a lot of activity for a 6 yr old - I think a bit more slack-jaw time is preferable to things like school council.

[Madsometimes]

dd1 (9 Y5)
Mon - piano
Tue - brownies
Thur - Kumom

dd2 (6 Y2)
Mon - piano
Thur - Kumon
Sat - swimming

I am considering starting dd2 on guitar which would be during school day, but she would need to practice after school. dd2 used to do swimming after school, but I found that we were doing far too much after school, so I swapped it for a Saturday class. I have also scrapped an activity that dd1 did on a Monday, but then replaced it with piano, so I did not do that well there.

I think your dd's schedule does seem fairly heavy going. I would not worry about what she does during the school day, but would consider dropping one after school activity. I find that ferrying children to too many activities is draining for both them and me.

[bigfatbump]

DD does swimming Drama (in school) and tap after school. Nothing at lunchtime as yet. She would like to do athletics but this is at 8am and I'm not sure whether she'll like the early start in reality, especially as this is on the same morning as drama, where she's in school late.

[Smithagain]

DD1's just gone into Year 3.

In Year 2, she did gymnastics and two dance clubs after school. The dancing was at school, gymnastics elsewhere. She also did one lunchtime club - art.

This year, she's starting Brownies and still doing gymnastics. I've said "no" to any more after-school clubs. Two after school is enough for her - when she did three, there wasn't enough time for homework, going to the park, having friends round and just chilling out.

[lljkk]

That doesn't sound like too much, Athene. She will probably try but not commit to some of them, anyway. Children are individuals and some can do lots more than others.

Y2: DS did swimming. DD had violin lessons in school hours all year, and Brownies after school in the last 9 weeks only. One activity /week out of school time is almost too much for my offspring.

[AtheneNoctua]

Oh damn. This is just not working out for me. I thought we could manage a semi-private violin lesson and then go to Kumon on Monday (DD's friend with whom the lesson would be also goes to Kumon). But, DN (dear nanny) looked a bit less than enthused when I suggested this to her this morning. This is a new nanny. She is very organised. Not a lazy bone in her body. She works hard. I lurve her to bits because she is the only nanny who cleans up without me nagging her AND the only one who never never never ever has to be asked to do something twice. So, deep down, I know that if she looks like she looked when I metioned the violin lessons that I really am asking too much. Damn damn damn. I am so angry with myself for not getting DD on the list in time to get violin lessons at school during normal school hours.

[tassisssss]

I think 3 afternoons with something is the max I'd do at this stage as ds (6) likes having 2 days to chill and we invariably have playdates etc. Our weekends tend to be super busy, but no clubs scheduled at present (except church!).

No lunchclubs on offer here atm, but ds adores playing with his mates at lunchtimes. It's his fave part of the day. He loves to run about with them.

[QuintessentialShadows]

Your schedule is fine, if you want her to learn everything useful there is to learn, in one massive big go.

Why not leave some activities until she is in year 3 or 4???

[AtheneNoctua]

I don't think this schedule encompasses everything useful there is to learn. If the schedule itself is too much for a reasonably bright and active 6 year old, than that is a matter for (re)consideration. But, it certainly won't leave her with nothing else useful to learn in life. We haven't even begun to explore a foreign language or her black belt in karate.

[trickerg]

Between all these prescribed activities, I think parents have to realise that children must be given the opportunity to entertain themselves, independent of ANY adult intervention. Children are sometimes unable to cope at school and find it difficult to think for themselves, because they are guided through all other activities.

Another thing to take into account is whether the children enjoy the activities, and that it's not you, as parents, trying to keep up with the Jonses, or trying to justify to other parents in the playground (whose little kiddies go to a club a night and 3 on Wednesdays!) that you're a good parent! At least 3/4 of my Y2 class last year went to swimming lessons, and about half of them said they hated it!

[AtheneNoctua]

I am defintiely not trying to keep up with Joneses. I think it learning an instrument would be good for DD, and it would compliment her work in dance. This is definitely for her benefit, and not my playground chatter (of which I have none anyway).

The isssue here is whether it is too much for her at aage 6. She still has Wed and Thursday after school for free play. She also has at least Monday and Friday for free play in the playground at lunch time.

It is more the nanny's schedule which needs to be accommodated here. I like my nanny and want need for her to be happy. But, I might have an idea. If I drop Kumon to once every two weeks and can organise violin lesson for the weeks there is no Kumon, I might have an agreeable solution. Will have to run this by nanny, of course.

[Hulababy]

DD was in Y2 last year and did the following:

Monday: Playball; afterschool activity at school, 4:00-5:00pm

Tuesday: Drama; afterschool activity elsewhere, 6:30-7:30pm

Wednesday: Brownies (started at Easter); 6:00-7:30pm

Thursday: Piano (started at Christmas); outside of school, 4:00-4:30pm

Friday: none, best friend and sister came round (Katz's DDs) for dinner

Saturday: swimming (started at Easter), 10:45-11:15am

[deaddei]

I think it's way too much for a six year old.
If I was six I'd think Monday was a shit day.

[smee]

Is this a joke...? she really doesn't even get even her lunchtimes to play

[SleepingLion]

What does your dd want to do? My ds, also Yr 2, has two after school clubs, piano lessons once a week in lesson time, and swimming, riding and Beavers outside school. He has chosen all those activities but I would definitely resist adding any more to the list - we don't seem to spend enough time just relaxing, messing around and being silly as it is!

[AtheneNoctua]

nope, not a joke. Nothing has been decided on lunchtimes. She wants to do book club. DH wants her to do book club. I want her to do choir. I want her to do school council because I think she is perfectly suited for it and will love it when she geets there.

DD wants to take violin and she has found a hideous lovely one on the internet which I have agreed to buy her. DD's words: "I want to do what ever DF does. If she takes piano then I want to take piano. If she takes violin then I want to take violin." So, as you see, it all hinges on the friend's involvement.

[colditz]

You are pushing her far, FAR too hard. What do you hope to achieve? She is doing 4 hours, not including traveling times, of extra work per week. Aged SIX.

[AtheneNoctua]

Incidentally, all of the lunchtime clubs and the violin are under consideration, which does not mean I intend to select them all and shove her along. It means I want her to go to some of them and none has yet been ruled out.

[smee]

Athene, each to their own, honestly I do mean that, but am just wondering where's the time for messing around in the playground, making up inventive games with her friends, running and laughing for fun with no purpose even. That's far more important imo, and I'd add to that knowing how to fill time where there's nothing else to do. Seriously it's a life skill that stands you in good stead.

[AtheneNoctua]

That's fair enough smee. She gets an opportunity to do this:

Monday lunchtime
Friday lunchtime
M-F before school in the playground for about 20 minutes.
Tuesday at the gym after school before her tennis starts and whilst DS is in swimming for about an hour.
Wednesday afterschool (when same friend will come over to ours and stay for tea)
Thursday after school
Saturday afternoon at the gym whilst I eat lunch / work after she goes to "multi sports" and I work out in the gym
Sunday afternoon (after church)

That seems a fair amount of free play to me. Do you think it's not enough?

[princessmel]

ds (yr 2) does football after school on a friday.

That's it.

The other days we either go home, or go to the park where loads of his school friends go or he might have a play date.

It's very relaxed and flexible.

He used to do swimming lessoms but we couldn't afford to send him and dd.

He is on the waiting list for Beavers.

I think your dd's diary seems too structured and tiring.

[geoffkates]

I dont think its enough free time just because some of those times you have counted as 'free' are in fact on the clock in that they are only 20 mins before school or before tennis starts or whatever.

Especially as theres so little dc time at the weekends as well - I often try and let my ds decide what we are going to do for a weekend day within reason...

my ds is in year 1 though and so I might change my mind next year when everyone else is doing loads of activites and we're not...

[smee]

Well as I said Athene honestly each to their own, but no actually I don't think it's enough because most of her free time is structured and time limited. Okay school necessitates that, but I still think running around in the playground and exploring friendships within that is key, so for me two lunchtimes alone isn't sufficient. But then again I don't know her school, so maybe that's how it is for all her friends too, in which case fair enough as you don't want her to be the odd one out. Simply though, there's no time for her to be bored is there? I think boredom's tremendous and the making of rounded individuals. I'm really not being flippant and I don't mean neglect, but if you fill time they don't learn how to have time. By that I mean invent, think, dream and I think that's key to growing up. But then I'm probably a lone voice..

[colditz]

I'm with Smee, I'm afraid. Friendships are not cemented in the waitful period beforeschool, or the occupied period of various classes, they form in the playground, and she has frighteningly little playground time.