After school activities for 6yr old

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

In article , JennP. says...

On 26 Sep 2008 05:16:46 -0700, Banty wrote:

In article , Welches says...


"Dad" wrote in message
...
How many times per week do you send your grade 1 kid to after school
activities?

Well, why do I ask?

I've put my son in minor hockey, the season will start next week. It is
twice a week, i.e. 2 hours a week. He still takes skating lessons, that
is once a week. Am I crazy to put him in one more activity?
I'm assuming grade 1 is about age 6 (?)

It depends on your child. Both their energy/concentration levels and whether
they want to. If he wants to then I'd say, give it a go, but if he's finding
it too tiring then he has to choose between them.

The skating lessons are linked with the hockey, though.

How much longer are the skating lessons?

Banty


They aren't always. It sounded to me like he was doing a separate
skating clinic. I was under the impression that he was spending 3
hours/week on skating lessons and hockey.

Sure, he's doing a separate clinic. But you need to skate well to play ice
hockey - no? And he said he's "still" doing skating lessons. At that age, it
makes sense.

So it's not like one would say "I'll drop skating and keep hockey so I can do
another activity" or "I'll drop hockey but keep with skating lessons..."

Banty

In article , Welches says...


"Banty" wrote in message
...
In article , Welches says...


"Dad" wrote in message
...
How many times per week do you send your grade 1 kid to after school
activities?

Well, why do I ask?

I've put my son in minor hockey, the season will start next week. It is
twice a week, i.e. 2 hours a week. He still takes skating lessons, that
is once a week. Am I crazy to put him in one more activity?
I'm assuming grade 1 is about age 6 (?)

It depends on your child. Both their energy/concentration levels and
whether
they want to. If he wants to then I'd say, give it a go, but if he's
finding
it too tiring then he has to choose between them.

The skating lessons are linked with the hockey, though.

How much longer are the skating lessons?

Ah! In the UK hockey is played on grass. Ice hockey is played on ice. I
didn't link them at all. Hockey is played by secondary school girls as the
main winter sport (along with netball). Ice hockey is played by students at
about 2am... very much more minor sport!

Heh.. I'm in upstate New York, and I have a lot of relatives in Wisconsin and
Minnesota.

I know a family that builds a form each winter in their front yard, fills it
with water, set up floodlights, and play ice hockey in their front yard after it
freezes. Seriously.

Banty

Dad wrote:
How many times per week do you send your grade 1 kid to after school
activities?

Well, why do I ask?

I've put my son in minor hockey, the season will start next week. It is
twice a week, i.e. 2 hours a week. He still takes skating lessons, that
is once a week. Am I crazy to put him in one more activity?

Not in the least. Make sure that he is able to keep up in school and do
his homework. If it gets to be too much, you can always back off.

Jeff

On 26 Sep 2008 14:39:46 -0700, Banty wrote:




Sure, he's doing a separate clinic. But you need to skate well to play ice
hockey - no? And he said he's "still" doing skating lessons. At that age, it
makes sense.

So it's not like one would say "I'll drop skating and keep hockey so I can do
another activity" or "I'll drop hockey but keep with skating lessons..."

I think we were actually saying the same thing, only I didn't say it
very well.

JennP.

On 26 Sep 2008 14:42:40 -0700, Banty wrote:



I know a family that builds a form each winter in their front yard, fills it
with water, set up floodlights, and play ice hockey in their front yard after it
freezes. Seriously.

Banty

Raises hand That would be us! Except ours is in the backyard.
Floodlights, firepit, power, hot water for resurfacing, you bet! This
year we are expanding to a 40x75 rink (last year's was about 25x70).
It's a lot of work but completely worth it.

JennP.

JennP. wrote:
On 26 Sep 2008 14:42:40 -0700, Banty wrote:


I know a family that builds a form each winter in their front yard, fills it
with water, set up floodlights, and play ice hockey in their front yard after it
freezes. Seriously.

Banty

Raises hand That would be us! Except ours is in the backyard.
Floodlights, firepit, power, hot water for resurfacing, you bet! This
year we are expanding to a 40x75 rink (last year's was about 25x70).
It's a lot of work but completely worth it.

JennP.

If they take up a collection, maybe they can get a Zamboni. B-)

Except I am not joking: http://zamboni.com/machines/model100.html
Probably around $10,000 with the tractor.

The fire pit is way cool.

Can I come and play?

Jeff

Thank you all who contributed.

In our neighborhood, there are not that many kids;
he does not have any friends dropping by or to visit.
Summer was nice, I went bike riding with him almost everyday.
Around here it could get very cold by early October.
When he is home, he mostly watch cartoon or play with his little
sister, or use the computer (nickjr, pbskids etc)

My son did two summer camps on power skating; about 15 hours ice time
in total. His skating lessons are just regular skating, but I feel they
are more tilted towards figure skating. I am sending him there so that
he could get some additional ice time at a reasonable time; the arenas
close to home has public skating hours in some odd hours. I found a
place close by that teach power skating once a week; I will send him
there in January instead of regular skating lessons.

The additional activity that we have looked at are martial arts (Tae
Kwan do) and music lessons.

PS: My newsreader was acting weird, I just figure out what was wrong;
otherwise I would have contributed earlier.

Dad wrote:

The additional activity that we have looked at are martial arts (Tae
Kwan do) and music lessons.

Just my bias, but at this stage I would add music/arts
or some kind of service sort of thing (scouting, etc.) rather
than adding another physical activity when he's already got
two physical activities. Since this is a good age for trying
things out, I wouldn't want to get him too boxed in yet.
If you elect music, however, be careful that whatever you
choose is really developmentally appropriate and that the
teacher is experienced with kids his age.

Best wishes,
Ericka

Ericka wrote:
Dad wrote:


If you elect music, however, be careful that whatever you
choose is really developmentally appropriate and that the
teacher is experienced with kids his age.


I know very little about music. My boy wants to take guitar lessons,
is that not appropriate for a 6yr old? I just think, he likes it because
he watched too much wiggle.