Beth Kevles wrote:
Hi --

Is it too much? It depends.

1. Is he happy taking the lessons?
2. Are YOU finding yourself stressed by his afterschool activities?
(Ie, too much driving him, or not enough time to get ready for supper,
etc.)
3. Are the activities stressing your finances?
4. Does he have enough time to play, do homework, help you around the
house?
5. What would he be doing if he weren't doing these activities?
Something constructive (playing with friends, building legos) or
something not constructive (watching cartoons, whining that he's bored).
6. Is he getting enough rest?
7. Are there kids in the neighborhood he would be playing with
otherwise?
8. Is there a sibling being dragged around to all these activities? If
so, does that work well for the sib?

That's a great list, Beth, it sums it up really well, that there is no
right answer and each family and each child will be different.

We've really wrestled with activities for DS, who just started
kindergarten. He had been doing gymnastics, but it was just too far in
the wrong direction at the wrong time, it was me that couldn't cope, not
him! But we checked that he would be able to pick it up again next year
and be in the same class as other boys his age, and he can, so that was
a relief for all of us.

He also does ballroom dancing, which he loves, but the place where he
goes is definitely focused on creating champions, so they do three
classes a week to avoid the kids forgetting things between classes.
Fortunately the price is such that if he misses one I don't feel like
it's a waste of money and if that's what we need to do then that's what
we need to do. We stick with it in part because they don't take
holidays, so it's an activity he can do through the summer, which was
really useful this past summer, but they are ok with you taking time off
and charge on a per month basis without a contract, so it's not
costing you if you decided not to do August.

Cheers
Anne