With school beginning and a full summer behind us, I’ve found myself asking the question of whether I’m helping my kids or hindering them with so many activities. A double-edged sword, as we want to introduce them to new hobbies and sports but not over-schedule them to the point that they can’t just be a kid. (I’d love to hear from our readers – how much is too much?)
My children are 3 and 5 and I try to pick a sport and/or activity every quarter or so to try. My thinking behind this is getting them involved and acclimated socially (we have one that is extremely shy), exercise, and finding activities that interest them. This year we have had tried the following activities: cooking classes with Sprouts Cooking School, swim lessons at Gold Fish Swim School, soccer at Lil’ Kickers Soccer, gymnastics at Spectrum Sports, ballet and tap class at the Monon Center via Carmel Clay Parks. All have been a great experience – learning what they think is boring, what they like, what they don’t, and what they really enjoy doing.
With Kindergarten beginning for one of them, I want to ensure school is first priority. We’d love to have you weigh in–how much are your children involved with and what do you think is the best mix of activities for young school age children?
