Extracurriculars: How many is too many"
Trying to arrange a playdate for my five-year-old isn?t easy.
?Tuesday is karate, soccer is on Wednesday and on Friday we have swimming. How?s Thursday"? asks the other mom.
?We have Spanish.?
I?m happy with my minimalist approach to extracurriculars, but hearing a laundry list of other kids? activities does sometimes make me question whether my own child is doing enough?or if he?s missing out or falling behind his peers.
As a parent, you?re constantly trying to find the right balance between keeping your kid busy and away from screens and overscheduling them. You want to expose them to a variety of experiences, but you also want to nurture their passions and talents.
Here are some things to consider before you enrol:
Cost Kid?s activities are expensive. Leif Davis* in Barrie, Ont., has his nine-year-old daughter, Kendall*, in as many dance classes as the family can afford (three per week), plus Brownies. Davis spends around $700 per year on costumes alone?with additional fees for lessons and competitions. (Kendall?s older sister, 13-year-old Karsen*, takes dance, as well as figure skating.) But he feels it?s worth the cost. ?It?s not about me spending money to make them a better dancer or figure skater or athlete,? he says. ?It?s about me spending the money to try to help my child be a better person.? He values the teamwork and camaraderie Kendall learns through dance classes and competitions, and wants to keep her busy instead of having her spend all her time on a de...
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