If you had to pick just ONE extra activity for your child....

[ciyates]

For us, it's Scouting. All of our boys are in Cub or Boy Scouts. For us, it's important for them to have group interaction with other kids. And Scouting gives us that plus leadership opportunities for my older two. We enjoy camping and teaching the boys self-sufficiency skills.

Merit badges and sports and academics program introduces the boys to topics that we they might not have otherwise experienced.

Plus there is the stress on physical fitness.

:iagree: not to mention scholarship opportunities for Eagle Scout.

[Rhonda in TX]

For sports, I wouldn't necessarily pick one that has a limited life. So, I'd choose swimming over soccer. I tend to like things that are more individualized, rather than depending on a team. A friend runs marathon. Her husband has done several Iron Man competitions. Those are the type of things that I see as having a lifetime health benefit. Sports like soccer, baseball, etc. are great, but once you are grown, they rarely add anything beyond having fun with a group of friends. (I'm sure somebody's going to disagree with me about that.)

 

For music, if they will have lifetime enjoyment of it, that's a keeper. DH plays double bass in several area orchestras (volunteer groups, although he has gotten paid for a few special concerts). It gives him a great deal of pleasure.

 

For us, the one thing would be a musical instrument. All other things would be casual and just for fun or exercise.

[joannqn]

I choose based on my kids' interests once they are able to identify an interest that they will stick with for at least a year.

 

DD10: a computer or film making class/club

DS8: taekwondo

[teamturner]

Piano during the school year and swimming during the summer months. Although, I personally feel that 5 is too young to do piano but others would disagree. My dc all started at 7-8 and they were able to progress at a pace that prevented them from getting frustrated or bored. Being able to read music is a skill that I have found very valuable as an adult. I hear many adults lament that they cannot read music.

[AngieW in Texas]

My oldest did Tae Kwon Do ($90/mo) and then switched to kickboxing ($40/mo). She also did a cartooning class for one year ($40/mo), but it was close enough for her to bike to. She's not involved in any activities now, but she does take classes at the cc (free with dual credit).

 

My middle has been in gymnastics/tumbling ($60/mo) for 5 years now. It has been very good for her.

 

My youngest has tried a lot of different things. Dance only lasted one month. She did just one session of ice skating lessons. She did gymnastics for 2 years and then lost interst. She would have loved to do yoga long-term, but the places where I did find classes cancelled their kid yoga program after just 1-2 months every time. She would desperately love to do horseback riding, but I can't justify $160/mo for just 1 hr/wk. I can't swing that amount anyway. I was going to try having her do it 2x/mo, but it just didn't work out in our schedule with the cc classes my oldest is in. I do make sure that she gets to do horseback riding every summer. She would rather do private horse lessons than go to a summer camp, so she gets 6 horseback lessons every summer for the same cost of doing a one-week summer camp. She starts guitar lessons ($40/mo) today. The timing works out perfectly because I can drop my oldest off at the cc 10 minutes early for her noon class and then get my youngest to her noon guitar lesson right on time. She bought the guitar with her own money on Saturday. I had no idea at all she was interested until she told me last week and asked for permission to buy a guitar. Since she was willing to buy the guitar herself (used for $50), I was willing to pay for the lessons.

 

I don't try to dictate what classes/activities my kids are in. I desperately wanted to do gymnastics as a kid and my parents were dead-set against it. I still don't know why. They kept putting me in music lessons that I hated and refused to practice for. I was stuck in a horrible violin class for 2 years and piano for 4 years. It was a complete waste of time and money. All I wanted was gymnastics. It wasn't the cost, because I checked on the cost and it was cheaper than the music lessons. I still get upset that I was never able to take gymnastics as a kid. I would have loved it.

 

The only lessons that I have required of all my kids is swimming and that was for safety reasons. All my kids started swimming lessons at 3yo. They had to keep taking 1-2 sessions of swimming lessons every summer until they could swim all the way across the pool. All of them were swimming well by the end of the summer in which they were 5yo. They had the option of continuing to take lessons or join swim team after that, but none of mine wanted to. They just liked to swim.

[Aubrey]

thank you all for your thoughtful replies. We feel piano is very important but the kids want to do something else too. Maybe we will start with swimming and see what happens?

 

So Heather, how has it worked out? Has this plan been more balanced, do ya think? Just curious--I think "busy-ness" is so funny how it ebbs & flows.

[LittleIzumi]

That's all we can afford anyway. Right now my youngest is in a sensory class (early intervention) and dd4 is in their preschool-ish program at the same time for free. Then I think we'll be doing gymnastics this year, and trying music next year. Maybe. They LOVE music but I don't know if we can afford to rent an instrument or two. I really want to get my older into piano, and she would adore it, but we don't have one to practice on.

[FO4UR]

thank you all for your thoughtful replies. We feel piano is very important but the kids want to do something else too. Maybe we will start with swimming and see what happens?

 

 

If I had to pick just one....it would be whatever sport the boys agreed on, meaning they do the same sport for now...swimming, karate, whatever.

 

There is no rush on a 5yo to take piano, but it would be next on the priority list for the older ds.

[Terabith]

I view music as a part of the curriculum. The children must take music. Swimming is also a non-negotiable, because being a competent swimmer is a required life goal. Religious education is the same.

 

Extras, in my mind, are something *they* choose. I want them involved in something physical. My oldest wants to do everything. My youngest doesn't want to do anything. At this point, I am not requiring anything beyond swimming and music for her, but again, those are not extras. They are curriculum that is outsourced.

[Crissy]

If you had to pick just ONE extra activity for your child.... what would it be? Let's suppose that after schooling and lessons were done and not including church.

 

I don't think I could choose just one for either of my boys at this point.

 

My younger son plays baseball and the violin. He happens to be really good at both, and more importantly, he *loves* the time he spends on each of his activities.

 

My older son still does volunteer work at the local public library, and is a member of the Teen Advisory Board. Additionally he is involved with a couple of clubs at the high school (math and debate). Like his younger brother, his after-school activities are very important to him.

[KidsHappen]

Wow, this is a really hard question. As a mother, I would really prefer that all of the children take music but alas none of my children's gifts or interest lie in music so I think that it would make more sense to go with what would be most useful to each child. I have two children that are very talented artists and I really think that they should continue to receive advanced instruction and support in art. I have one child who is quite athletic and has desires to become a professional athlete. So if I can get her to narrow her focus to just one sport then that would be the best for her.

 

If I could afford it though, each child would take piano, art, one sport and then perhaps one extra of various things that they would like to learn or do: cooking classes, sewing, horse riding, ice skating.

[LittleIzumi]

 

Extras, in my mind, are something *they* choose.

 

Dd asked for a "science class" (over dance, gymnastics, art, music, etc). There aren't many of those for 4-year-olds. :confused:

[Dmmetler]

Ballet for my DD right now, but only because I feel able to teach beginning/intermediate piano at home.

[Dmmetler]

Dd asked for a "science class" (over dance, gymnastics, art, music, etc). There aren't many of those for 4-year-olds. :confused:

 

I know the feeling. DD keeps looking at all the neat, hands-on camps that our local science museum does and getting VERY frustrated at the minimum age range.

 

And realistically, even if there WAS one for a 4-5 yr old, it would almost certainly undershoot what a child who wants a science class at that age wants and needs.

[Jumping In Puddles]

I don't know if this is any help, but my kids do one extra thing each season.

 

DS:

Wrestling in the fall

Gymnastics in the winter

Soccer in the spring

Swimming in the summer

 

DD:

Karate in the fall

Gymnastics in the winter

Soccer in the spring

Swimming in the summer

[LibraryLover]

I would never choose between an instrument/voice and physical acitivity.

 

It has to be both here.

[StephanieZ]

music lessons.

[Dell]

For us, music lessons absolutely.

 

The instrument would be piano initially, but then after they had a solid foundation we'd let them choose a different instrument if they were especially drawn to a certain instrument other than piano.

[bettyandbob]

swimming--lifelong safety skill.

[TengoFive]

I agree. The only activity my kids have right now is swimming, which we do 4 days a week. We did have piano lessons before we moved, but right now we're down to just swimming. We're remodeling and I don't have time for both. Swimming for me is huge, its fitness, safety, work ethic, team building, all rolled into one. It gives my kids a social outlet and gives me about 2 hours per evening to plan my lessons, read a book, etc. It's a relaxing time for me. We will be adding music lessons back in eventually, but for now we do home learning. The piano is pretty much constantly in use by one or the other of them. They're improving quite a bit, just playing in their lesson books.

 

If nothing else I would say swimming. It is very important to me that my children know how to swim well. IMO it is a safety issue for not only them but their future children...it's that important!

[QueenCat]

For our family, piano is academic, not an extra. So is p.e., it's a necessity for healthy living. Extra would be Scouts or drama. Thankfully, ds can do both, it would be hard if I had to allow only one.

[Peela]

Well, in Australia, swimming is not something one gets a choice about- all kids learn swimming, pretty much. But...I didnt continue having my kids get lessons- once they could swim, they could swim, and they did swim. I dont think learning to swim is optional at all...but it doesn't have to go on for year after year, either.

 

Overall, after they could swim, I would start a musical instrument, but that coudl easily be started later- around age 9 or 10- with good results, too, so a lot could be fitted in before then, too, and you never know how your financial ot time situation could change.

 

My kids would say...Scouts, and I probably would too, but we happen to have a particularly brilliant Water Scouts unit in our area and it has become my kids' main social outlet. Scouts covers so many things- honorable values, many many outdoor and survival skills, leadership skills, comradeship, discpline. in our case, sailing and boat skills...it is worth the amount it dominates our lives for what it gives back...but, not all Scouts groups are so brilliant and not all familes are going to handle the commttment.

[elise1mds]

DS would keep swimming; DD would keep violin. :)

[Parrothead]

For dd it would have to be dance. It is what she does.

[IsabelC]

Depends on days/times, price, location, as well as how appropriate and/or beneficial we think the activity would be for the child. We also take their preferences into account, of course. Our current take on it is that each child, once school aged, can do one music activity, one sport activity and one extra. So that will be nine activities for three kids once they're all that age.

 

 

(ETA - of course swimming goes without saying, so that doesn't count as an extra.)

[delaney]

Well we have an in-ground pool so swimming is a given and they are like fish once they get their fins. I would love them all to do music but since Scouts in non-negotiable for all of them it crunches time once they have their sport.

Here is what we do:

DS 14-travel soccer year round, public HS soccer team, working on Eagle project

DS11-travel soccer year round, boy scouts

DD 9- Girl Scouts, dances on a competition team and in classes totaling 5 days per week

DD 6-looking for Daisy troop, since the leader she had was a major flake, dances 4 hours per week and is also on the competition team

DS 4-fall and spring soccer on the rec team