DO CHILDREN NEED EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES?

Martial arts class

Many You have already enrolled the children in the different programs of extracurricular activities that are offered to us, others are still making a decision. At the beginning of the course a range of proposals opens before our eyes, and we must choose between artistic workshops, sports, recreational activities, languages, and other options.

Well, more than 'we must choose', what is desirable is that the children participate in the election, even when the inclusion in the activities is motivated by family organization reasons (we already know how incompatible they are - sometimes - the working hours of parents with attention to children).

There are those who say that including children in extracurricular schools is beneficial for them. because they expand knowledge, learn to distribute time outside of school, or improve their concentration, not to mention the advantages of sports. The truth is that I do not fully agree with this statement, except if there is a clear interest on the part of the children, because do you like to organize your free time ?, on the other hand playing also move and stay healthy.

But now what we have to do is talk about how to succeed in our choice: During the school period Children are quite overloaded, and adding responsibilities to a basic situation can lead to fatigue, stress or disinterest.. The schedules, spending a lot of time away from home, performing tasks on leaving school, and the lack of freedom to get bored or play freely, are sufficient to condition the emotional stability of children, and the acquisition of skills naturally.

Extracurricular Chess Class

To take into account before the election:

You may want to motivate your child towards the realization of some extracurricular activity, however 'to force' is not a good idea, as it is not to enroll him in programs that respond to our own tastes.

If the child must be busy because the parents have not yet arrived from work and there are no relatives to pick him up from school, talk to the child (no matter how old he is), or assess the possibility of using the 'evening school', the services of a toy library, or any other intermediate solution

Does your child really need an extracurricular activity? Imagine that parents are at home in the afternoon, it is convenient that they know languages, that it is good that they move, and that we want them to be creative (how many demands do they?) But does that justify the occupation of three or four afternoons a week?

Of course, in no case would I advise this type of activities with children of Infant, and would do so with many reservations when they are students of first cycle of Primary. With the exception that they really want, that they are language classes based on interactive / participatory programs, or that we need it for work reasons

If we all want the little one to attend an extracurricular activity, in addition to family information, we can count on the advice of the school teacher. He knows the evolution of his students, and can guide not only on his preferences or abilities, but on the convenience of overloading him.
Extracurricular activities should never interfere with the need for children to play spontaneously with their peers., nor (of course) with the time spent studying or doing homework.

And, please, let's not forget that they also need our presence, and that together with us they also learn a lot

Value well the proposals offered in your community, and gather all possible information: working methods, intended objectives, training of monitors, how the organizing entity coordinates with families and how they address the problems that arise.
Can our children attend first class as a test?This is important when assessing whether the child will be at ease, if it meets our expectations, and if it is worth continuing.

After all, extracurricular activities (although we want them to be a complement to what they learn in school) should be, above all, a place / motive for relaxation, and facilitating group relationships

Permanence in extracurricular activity: What happens when children change their minds?

There is no way to anticipate this situation since until they are doing the activity they cannot know how they will be, or if they respond to what they expected of it.

What I would do, and as long as I had not had to invest money in the purchase of material / in high tuition payments (and did not need them to be busy), that is to say to my children that I want them to finish the current month (or the quarter), and give them the option to leave later, but without resuming any other activity during the course. I don't think they are more responsible for forcing them to do something they don't want once school ends, because the responsibility is acquired as a family.

An activity for each age?

Painting class

Artistic workshops for the little ones, swimming from the age of five, 'almost obligatory' sports practice in Primary, languages for everyone, music because in this way the child acquires sensitivity and 'discipline'. It is very easy to find recommendations on the suitability of some or other activities depending on the physical or intellectual abilities of children, but we should rely more on the needs or preferences of children. And if we choose the activity well, we will realize that entities and monitors are able to adapt the contents to children of different ages.

This is with the exception, perhaps, of those sports that require a clear respect for the rules of the game, since very young children are not able to play football (for example) as parents would expect. In these cases the activity is adequate provided that all parties assume that students will tend more to 'play for play' than to internalize the rules

Basketball class

In this post you will find some tips to succeed in choosing the sport that our children will practice.

Finally, keep in mind that At least children need two free afternoons a week, and it will be good for everyone to spend time a day in the company. It is very important that parents know how to value these moments that enrich the family, and will make the children feel safer.

Images | USAG-Humphreys, Irina Slutsky, Nlnnet and Air21 Express on Flickr in Peques and More | Extracurricular activities: help or overload in children ?, It is time to choose the best extracurricular activity