After school activities for 6yr old

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?

"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?

What's the reasons for another activity? Is it because YOU want him to do
another activity or because he wants to?
At this point, DS is 7 (will be 8 in Jan) - gr 2 - and he doesn't do more
than 1-2 activities at any given time. Right now, it's football. I think
that started in about June or so - can't remember exactly. Football camp
was just at the beginning of summer, anyways. Then in the beginning of
summer, for a couple weeks it was 4 days a week. Then a couple weeks of 3
practices a week. Now that school's back in, he practices 2 times a week
plus one game on the weekend. That's, basically, 3 days a week of extras.
For him, it's more than enough, and for me as well. I would consider adding
another activity if it was only 1 day a week - something like a scouts
program or music lessons - if HE wanted and deserved it (school work was
getting done, his behaviour was good, his sleep schedule is fine, etc)
I would not do another activity if it took up more than an extra hour a week
(currently football practice is about 2 hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays) and
the game on the weekend takes up about 2 hours on a Saturday or a Sunday.
I would NOT be running around the city 7 days a week - 5 evenings and 2
mornings/noons/evenings - under any circumstances. In a few years, I'll
also have to consider extra activities for DDs, and with 3 or 4 in after
school activities, 1-2 things at a time would be well more than enough for
me - and them as well.

"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.

My #1 needs more sleep than her younger (by 3 years) sister. At 6 yo she had
3 after school activities. Swimming (40 minutes), Rainbows (This is
Guides/Girl Scouts for girls age 5-7) for 1 hour, and Ballet (40 minutes on
Saturday). This was as much as she could cope with. We dropped the swimming
as soon as she was a competent swimmer as she found it a bit much. She needs
a certain amount of down time where she is on her own, or just veg-ing out.
#2 is rising 5, having just started full time compulsory school. She does 3
after school activities, which are Theatre Dance (1 hour) Gym (1 hour) and
Ballet (30 minutes on Saturdays). She thrives on the busy-ness and could add
another activity without too much problems. She likes to be with people and
preferably other children.

Debbie

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

"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!
Debbie

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?

When my kids were in first grade they had violin lessons (30 minutes a
week of lesson and 15 minutes a day of practicing), Sunday school (3
hours on Sunday mornings), one team sport (1 hour/week of formal
practice), tae kwon do class (1 hour at a time, several days a week) and
often another activity, such as afterschool science club, or a drama
class.

There were no other kids near us to play with, and more formal playdates
were a bit hard to arrange (they were at a magnet school program with
kids coming from a dispersed geographic area), so the activities kept
them busy and happy. Had there been more kids in our neighborhood we'd
have limited the formal activities in favor of free play at home. We
still had plenty of free time at home, though, for kicking around,
reading, and even watching TV on a weekend.

There's really no set answer as to what is "too much". It depends upon
what works best for you and your child.

Have fun,
--Beth Kevles
-THE-COM-HERE
http://web.mit.edu/kevles/www/nomilk.html -- a page for the milk-allergic
Disclaimer: Nothing in this message should be construed as medical
advice. Please consult with your own medical practicioner.

NOTE: No email is read at my MIT address. Use the GMAIL one if you would
like me to reply.

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 , 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

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.

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.

JennP.