Activities / Tuition classes for children

[sorchului]

I have heard some parents plan 1-2 classes or activities each day for their kids: Monday - piano, Tuesday - English and swimming, Wednesday - maths.... It sounds quite crazy. Is it necessary? Will the kids miss out something if they don't attend that much classes/activities? Do the schools care so much about these classes and activities?

[Neha]

Not really but it depends upon u. WE have Socatots which my husband does with my son and my gym.Schools dont care about the extra activities but activities can be fun and can teach your child many things. But every day activity is too much according to me. But there are kids who have more than one activity per day.

[babymommy2]

I think activites can be fun, but 1-2 activites/day seems over kill, it is also fun and healthy for kids to have time to just play. we do 1-2 activites/week, usually just one, and that is for ages 3 and 5. Right now because my 3 year old is going from home with me, to 4 half days of school he is not doing any activities until at least after christmas.

[carang]

i used to teach a 5 year old that had 1/2 day school AND 13 other activities per week! that was way, way, way overkill. i always worried this poor girl was going to suffer burnout before the age of 10. i always made sure my lessons were fun and not "work".


for my own kids, my son is doing swimming. when it gets colder, he'll do soccatots. during the summer, he did african drum and drawing as well as swimming. he's been begging for piano lessons, but i'm going to wait to see how he likes full day school first before i sign him up for any.(he's 4.5)

my daughter has done socatots and loved it. i will probably sign her up for that again. i also think she'd love dance class, so i'm trying to find something suitable for her. she also accompanies me to my playgroup when there is space available (not too often). (she's 2.5)

[HKfornow]

I think it really depends what you and your child wants. . . I know some moms that have signed up their kids for a bunch of classes to "get ahead" (Kumon, English, Math, Putonghua, etc.) and I don't agree with that. . . I think if we want our kids to have activity class. . . it should be to encourage them to develop other interests and not just focus on academics, but I seem to be a lone wolf in that regard with the parents I know from school.

I do sign up my son for outside activities, but it's really just to explore to see where he can develop his interest, we've tried, Socatots, Taekwondo, Arts, Science, etc, some he liked, some he did not. He has asked for Piano & swimming lessons, so we will be doing that this semester. He has asked to continue Science classes, but with his current status of just starting primary, I've asked him if we could wait and see how he adjusts.

I believe as long as the kids enjoy the classes and are not so hung up on the grades/scores and are not pressured, and they can handle the load, there is no harm in it.

[Buckeroo]

We're just doing Socatots and swimming and that's more than enough for us. I want them to be able to go downstairs and just 'play' with the other kids... That gives me some down time, too, from having to drive them around! :)