How many extracurriculars?

[ssavings]

My mom & I are "at odds" over this (not in a mean way, we just disagree), so I thought I'd ask: how many extercurricular activities is your DC involved in? Are they involved in more because they're homeschooled?

[foxbridgeacademy]

When we first started HSing we were very insular... as the kids have gotten older we have joined in a lot of HS groups. Monday is our main Co-op day. We aso do a Science and Art co-op on Fridays. We have recently started a garden co-op that will meet on Tuesdays and have an aditional day for field trips/projects. We are pretty lax in our book work. We focus on writing, math, history, and spelling. I use curriculum but we fit it in around our activities. Since getting involved in HS groups my children have stopped complaining about everything(to do with "school"). We do our book work 3 days a week and they are starting to look forward to it. I have done away with all the "filler" and focus on basics. Outside activities are what make HSing fun.

[boscopup]

My boys play hockey (well, oldest does... middle one, who is 5, is taking figure skating lessons until he's ready to do the learn to play hockey class this summer) and does Cub Scouts. That's it. I don't want to be overextended and not be able to school. I can't function when we're out of the house too much.

 

We did these same activities when DS was in school. I haven't changed our extracurriculars. I don't want a lot of activities. I want my boys to spend their time playing with each other and exploring the world rather than running around to classes and such all the time. I want them to have time to just be bored, so they can learn how to figure out what to do to entertain themselves. ;) I want our family to be somewhat relaxed and not on the go all the time.

 

So that's where I come from and how I feel about the topic for our family. Obviously, other families need to be on the go and do lots of activities. Do what works for you and feel no guilt. :)

[russiantwins]

Our twins are involved in Awana and Cub Scouts. Aside from curriculum, I also teach them cooking & art and consider those extra too. We haven't joined a co-op yet as I feel we are busy enough as it is.

[SilverMoon]

Between being active in our church and three scout pack/troops, we have no room for a homeschool coop in our weekly schedule. But I'm fine with that. :tongue_smilie: The only group I'd consider joining would be an every other week or so park day or field trip.

 

My husband teaches their music, so I didn't count that one.

[petepie2]

My two oldest DC do soccer in the fall & spring and basketball in the winter. We used to go to Gym & Swim at the Y once a week, but we're taking a break from that this year. We may start back in September.

 

We're active in our church, so our kids participate in Sunday School there. This school year we're also attending a monthly enrichment class about Africa. I teach piano to my oldest.

[Aurelia]

We do two (Girl Scouts and tumbling) and a half on a regular basis and occasionally join in with a homeschool group. Horseback riding is done with the neighbors, so I consider it a half an activity.

[mom2koh]

We are always :auto:

 

Tuesdays we have a homeschool group we are a part of. DC take classes from 9-3 (there's a lunch break). I also teach at the group. When that group ends we go straight to gymnastics for ds. Wednesdays both kids take drama classes. Then ds usually heads to Wednesday night church while dd stays at the theater for rehearsals for whatever play she's in. Thursdays dd does voice lessons, and dance. Fridays it's another drama workshop and rehearsal for dd. Some Sundays we have rehearsals for dd. DS will start karate on Monday nights next month.

 

That being said. We have all morning to get school work done (except Tuesdays. But, the kids are in classes all day that day). Also, my kids are the type that they thrive on their activities. They love having a full schedule and would have a fit if we took anything away. :001_smile:

 

You have to go with what works for you and your family. What works for one family may not work for another.

 

Good luck!!!!

[Wabi Sabi]

I don't know. Define extracurricular.

 

If you count everything my oldest does outside of the house it's quite a bit, but some of it I consider part of his schooling (ie: pottery class, nature class, drama group.)

 

Right now he does pottery class, choir and nature class on an on-going, continuing basis. In addition we've done (or are planning on doing) lots of shorter 4-8 week long classes throughout the year: Little League, drama, soccer, karate, a chess tournament, random one-day classes at the science center, hip hop dance class, Lego club and probably a couple more that I'm forgetting at the moment. We're typically do just one of them at a time although there have been a few occasions where two sessions might overlap for a couple of weeks.

[khall]

When mine were younger we didn't do many outside activities. They've always played well together and I just let them have lots of free, unstructured time. They did well with that, but now that they are 9 & 11 they seem to need some social time, time with activities away from each other, and time away from me. Soooo.....brace yourself for our list of extracurricular activities:

 

both kids: 1x per week - AWANA, art class

1x per month - homeschool group fun activity (park, bowling, etc), homeschool group field trip, Modern Woodmen of America Youth Group, Library Skills class

 

DS11 - Lego club, trumpet lessons & band at local middle school, soccer(fall), ski club(winter)

 

DD9 - flute lessons, Girl Scouts, homeschool co-op once a month, pony, cheering

 

I know this looks like a lot, but only a few things are every week. This schedule works for us because the kids have picked activities that they enjoy & look forward to. They like having something to do besides just school.

[brownie]

We have all 3 in scouts, piano lessons, and each has a sport. We do other things here and there...a chess club, FLL, a gym class... With three kids I find we're insanely busy and we could never do it all if we weren't homeschooling. Piano lessons and practice are during school hours. So is religious ed. That saves us 2 nights a week. However, I know people who do the same number of things and more around here with their kids in school! I don't know how they get their homework done, get a good night's sleep and ever see their parents!

[linders]

Last things first - yes, they do more because they are homeschooled. If we had long school days followed by homework, there is no way they could do these things plus get enough family/sleep time. Way too often I hear parents of brick-and-mortar school kids say "they catch up on sleep on weekends:001_huh:

 

Here both DC do piano (an instrument is one of our "school" requirements), a sport (ditto - currently swim team for both, but they've done others), Cub/Boy scouts (fits with our family's outdoor style), and art class (they like art). If they wanted to do something else (e.g., Lego League, chess club) I'd be good with that.

 

I find that I can match so many of the extracurriculars with our school stuff, that the only issue is scheduling and driving/down time for me. DH got me a Kindle and notepad just because of all the time I spend waiting:001_smile:

[ssavings]

We do.... well, nearly nothing. Homeschool play group about twice per month, play dates w friends. That's it.

I'd love to have them involved in more, just can't pinpoint what/how much.

[LMD]

Violin lessons and Church youth group/sunday school. That's it and I would be super reluctant to add anything else.

[Love My Life x4]

My kids are involved in a lot. It's how we work best ;) My husband works from 8am until 11pm Monday-Friday so it's just me and the kids. We do school work all day, we are out of the house around 3:30 to all the activities.

 

If we did not homeschool there is NO way we could do all of this. It's just one of the many benefits of homeschooling for us :)

 

Alexis ~ Level 5 Gymnastics Team, Novice Tumbling Team, Swimming Lessons, Horseback Riding Lessons

 

Austin ~ Pre-Team Tumbling, Baseball (summer), Football (Fall), Soccer (Spring), Swimming Lessons

 

Rylee ~ Level 4 Gymnastics Team, Sub Novice Tumbling Team, Swimming Lessons

 

McKenzee Grace ~ Gymnastics Classes, Swimming, Tap & Jazz, Soccer (Fall), Preschool Connections (she participates in this one morning a week... they get together and do a craft, play some games, read some books, etc... it's just for two hours and the other kids and I sit in the cafeteria and work on their school work).

 

I give Alexis, Austin and Rylee piano lessons.

 

They do a variety of other things through an organization here. This is not stuff they do EVERY month. They each participate in one or two of these classes each month... what is offered changes from month to month though so we get the schedule and they pick a couple things they are interested in. Here are some of the things my kids have participated in...

 

 

• Art workshops (9+ learning to paint, use watercolors, etc ... under 9 they have monthly themes and do art projects around the theme and introduce various techniques... both classes get in some type of small artist study)
  
• Choir
  
• Breakdancing (!!! My kids LOVE this... haha); Jazz
  
• Cooking and etiquette classes (one class... in April)
  
• Beginning gardening (one class... in May)
  
• All about BUGS (one class... in May)
  
• Drama/Theater
  
• Golf lessons
  
• Rock climbing
  
• Young Elite Athlete Program
  

 

Edited March 9, 2012 by Home Grown Hearts

[WIS0320]

My 6 year old is extremely extroverted and her biggest complaint about homeschooling is not being with friends for most of the day. So, we do have her in several extracurriculars. My 4 year old DS is much more introverted and would never tolerate or desire the same level of outside activity so I think it is totally dependent on the child.

 

She is currently in:

 

Girl Scouts

homeschool swim

piano

Drama Club

 

Next year we will add:

 

Dance 2x per week

Homeschool spanish class at a local private school

[GoVanGogh]

how many extercurricular activities is your DC involved in? Are they involved in more because they're homeschooled?

Another family that is always :auto:

I love it that way, as we are very outgoing and like to take advantage of community activities. Oh, and I have an only child. ;) (ie: I feel like we need to get out more and we are only paying for one person so can afford more.)

We have...

Nature class two times a month

Music lessons once a week

Park day once a week

Book club and garden club monthly

Seasonal: tennis, golf, art

We probably have 3-5 things on our calendar each week. Any less and we get bored. Any more and it drives me nuts.

I do think we do more because we homeschool. We simply have more time and, schedule-wise, are very flexible. We live in a very homeschool friendly area and so many places offer homeschool classes with a great discount that I hate to miss anything. :D

[FairProspects]

Right now we do 3 - Tae Kwon Do, Piano, and Awana, but we are about to add a once a week robotics class and Little League. We also do a co-op on Fridays.

 

Both Awanas and Co-op are set to end the last week of April, so all of the activities only overlap for a crazy 4 weeks, and then things calm down back down. Little League and Piano end in June too. I am willing to do more extra-curriculars when I know they are only seasonal.

[Alte Veste Academy]

We do.... well, nearly nothing. Homeschool play group about twice per month, play dates w friends. That's it.

I'd love to have them involved in more, just can't pinpoint what/how much.

 

When my kids were your kids' ages, we went to the library story time once a week and occasionally had play dates. It was enough. :001_smile:

 

Last things first - yes, they do more because they are homeschooled. If we had long school days followed by homework, there is no way they could do these things plus get enough family/sleep time.

 

:iagree: My kids' extracurriculars are fun and exciting for them partially because we are pretty low-key homebodies the rest of the time. They have energy for outside activities and aren't drained at that point. They do a one hour art class once a week, piano, violin for DD, guitar for DS9. We swim for sport/pleasure but I will let DS9 join a swim team after we move this Spring. DD wants to do ballet or tennis. I would like to put them all in tennis, so I'm leaning that way.

[kristin0713]

Music is non-negotiable. Right now both kids are in Musikgarten and DD is also in choir; next year, DD will be moving up to a group piano class, DS will stay in general music class and both of them will be in choir.

 

Swimming is also mandatory but we only do that in the summer. They will be in lessons for four weeks in June, every morning. Our other activities will be over by then so they will only be in swimming during June.

 

Next year I think I am putting them both in one active class. DD wants to try ballet again and DS wants to do gymnastics. So that will mean they will each have something active, choir, and music/piano. On paper, that seems simple and reasonable. But I'm just starting to work out our schedule for the fall and it really is a lot unless I can get at least two activities on the same day. I don't want us to be committed to go somewhere every day. Having three flex days would be great but my goal is two at this point. As in, two days were we don't need to be anywhere else.

[ebrindam]

My DD does a lot (and probably not coincidentally since I plan to HS her as far as we can go)...my boys do less (by their own choice). DD does Gymnastics 2x week, Ballet 1x week, Karate 2x week, library story time 1x week. She really requires physical activity, so we make sure she gets it daily. DS9 does Guitar lessons, Destination Imagination, and Cub Scouts. DS12 does school Track.

[Joyofsixreboot]

I have kids who crave social interaction.

 

Dd 13 -local theater, basketball, soccer, Girl Scouts, Boys & Girls Club, church youth group, Book Club

 

Ds10- Boy Scouts, fall and spring soccer, church group, Boys& Girls Club

 

Dd8- piano, theater, church group, Girl Scouts, homeschool music class, Boys & Girls Club

 

Dd4-church Kids Klub

[Dustybug]

DD1 has ballet lessons once a week and all the kids go to AWANA once a week. That's it. But I hate being on the run all the time, it stresses me out. DD1 will probably start piano lessons this fall and next spring/summer, DS will start t-ball and it already gives me anxiety thinking about all the :auto:.

[m0mmaBuck]

DS19- Venture Scouts

 

DD10 - Cub Scouts, AWANAS, rock climbing, football and softball seasonally

 

DD6 - AHG, Scottish Highland Dance, AWANAS, Sunday School, rock climbing

[MeganW]

A LOT, but my kiddos are young so we have plenty of time! Also, as my youngest is typical and the older ones are delayed, they are all about the same skill level so they are all in the same classes / on the same teams which simplifies things immensely. If we were in public school, we would probably not do more than one activity. One of the many advantages of homeschooling - we have time to explore lots of different things!

 

Church choir

Homeschool PE

Fine arts co-op (public speaking, chorus, puppet theater, drawing)

Seasonal sport - soccer / basketball / baseball

Classical Conversations

Swimming 2x per week

Dance (acro, ballet, tap, jazz/hiphop)

Gymnastics

 

Plus physical, occupational, & vision therapy.

Edited March 9, 2012 by MeganW

[MorganClassicalPrep]

Tuesdays - violin lessons, with practice all the other days.

Thursdays - homeschool PE

Saturday - ballet, tap, jazz

 

In the summer/fall, DD normally does soccer, this coming year she might do cheerleading. We would probably do more except for my own class schedule, which limits our availability.

[sagira]

Ds8 is in dance (ballet, tap, jazz) 2X a week for a total of 3 hours, Taekwondo 3X a week for a total of 3 hours. Tennis at least an hour a week (with Dad).

Dd4 is in ballet/tap 2 hours a week.

[Mommy22alyns]

The girls are in gymnastics, choir, and AHG. They also attend a one day a week co-op. They would be in gymnastics and choir regardless, but probably not AHG.

[NotAVampireLvr]

piano (at home), karate (3x week) homeschool park day, and swim lessons. We also have church/fellowship on Wednesday afternoon into the evening with some families from church who also homeschool.

[Dmmetler]

Dance, cheerleading, gymnastics-but all are recreational and are fairly low numbers of hours a week. I expect she'll end up dropping either gymnastics or dance in the next year to focus on the other.

[warneral]

I think today's children are far more busy than when I was a kid (late 70s to the 80s).

 

 

When we stopped PS I felt like I needed to fill in any gaps they might be missing socially. We are doing scouts, tennis lessons, gym class. They also go to a friends house for piano and unschooled stuff Friday mornings, neighbor kids over once a week, another little girl does school with us once a week,a ndchurch. Quite frankly it is too much for me :/

[chepyl]

Aidan does gymnastics one hour a week, dance three hours, theater one hour, and co-op for three hours.

 

H would not do as much if he were in school.

[kwickimom]

dd9-

girl scouts (once or twice a month) Mon

Awana (once a week) Sun

tumbling (once a week) Mon

piano (once a week) Wed

homeschool group- gym day or holiday bday parties, soon to add sign language (once a week) Fri

Fall- basketball

 

DS6

soccer fall and spring outdoor, winter- indoor tues/sat

Awana (once a week) sun

hs group(once a week) fri

library storyhour (once a week) mon

(looking to add some kind of music lesson or art or something)

 

Some activites are on the same day and we do piano during the day on wednesdays, but we generally are out of the house everyday but thurs and friday.

 

In the summer our community center offers different classes like drama, gardening, cooking and cake decorating. We do piano, tumbling, library program and a few of those classes over the summer. We pretty much have activites 4-s days a week over the summer but they are only about 1-2 hrs each.

Edited March 9, 2012 by kwickimom

[MrsBanjoClown]

My boys are still in ps this year but I don't plan to change their activities when I take them out. DS1 does soccer, cub scouts, and violin lessons. DS2 has been playing soccer in the fall and t-ball in the spring. We are going to add an instrument lesson for him when we feel he is ready. They are also both involved in our AWANA program at church.

[NanceXToo]

DD11:

 

Library book club (once every two weeks, we usually just do it over the school year) - Monday evenings

 

Girl Scouts (once a week over the school year) - Thursday evenings

 

Guitar Lessons (once a week, ongoing) - Friday afternoons

 

Homeschool Bowling League (once a week in sessions- we do the fall league and then the spring league, each runs about ten weeks) - Friday afternoons, after guitar

 

Judo (once a week, ongoing) - Saturday mornings

 

And then in the summer there will be no book club, no girl scouts, and no bowling, but she'll take swim lessons (just for two weeks) and a couple of different half day montessori camps.

 

DS6:

 

Homeschool Bowling League (see above)

 

Teeball (summer)

 

Soccer (fall)

 

And he also does swim lessons and the few different half day montessori camps in the summer.

 

He had the option to take judo classes with his sister but decided not to for now.

[Spetzi]

To be honest: TOO MANY! Yes, we are able to do more because we homeschool. The kids get enough downtime AND there are so many cool programs out there for homeschoolers.

 

I used to let them have one choice (eg, sport, art lessons, etc.). Then we had to add in a really cool class....then youth group.....Girl Scouts changed from once/month to twice/month + activities....karate (because one never like sports before and I'm glad she found a way to be active)....Odyssey of the Mind because it's such a great experience...etc.!

 

Part of the reason it's too many is because I have so many kids. If I could choose, I think a spiritual/character activity and a physical activity would be a good way to narrow down the choices. Some selections might be youth group and soccer, Girl Scouts and karate. If a child is taking a co-op class or something you don't have to teach, that shouldn't count as an 'extra'curricular activity.

 

Sorry for rambling....tough subject at the moment! :)

[Testimony]

I realize that I do way too many extracurricular activities.

 

I will divide this up between my two sons.

 

My Eighth Grader:

1. We go to a music co-op. He plays the violin and piano. He is involved in two ensembles in this program. He performs in two concerts a year.

2. He was in a program called Festival Strings. It is a junior high orchestra, but it is intense because it meets for three weeks in February and then the perform at the end of February.

3. He sings in a junior high choir. I did it for socialization purposes. It only meets twice a month, but it is a strain because it is on the same day as music.

4. He does some town sports. He plays basketball and indoor soccer.

 

My Sixth Grader:

1. We go to the music co-op. He plays the drums and piano. He is also apart of the children choir. He is in a mini-band. He performs in two concerts.

2. He plays travel soccer in the fall and spring seasons.

3. He is in AWANA, but I consider that his Bible program.

4. He plays in some town sports too. He plays basketball and indoor soccer.

 

Just to tell you, I am not signing them up for anymore sports next year. I have decided that they will work out with me. We use to do FIRST Lego League. We stopped doing it, but I still judged a competition and I am doing a talk with my sons in April.

 

I realize that I have done too much which is causing me to burn out. I want to drop everything, but I have a child going into high school and that is the time to put them in things because it looks good for college. I know that they need exercise. Just shoot me! I really have to pray this one through.

 

Blessings in your homeschooling journey!

 

Sincerely,

Karen

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/testimony

[Meriwether]

Dd8 - Girl Scouts, TKD, AWANAS, Coop, community sports 4-5 per year

Ds7 - Boy Scouts, TKD, AWANAS, Coop, community sports 4-5 per year

Ds5 - TKD, AWANAS, Coop, community sports 2-3 per year

 

Yes, it is too much. Dh insists, and he so rarely insists.

[livingmydream]

You know, I can't stand all the extra curriculars. It's so hard to keep up a house and cook healthy meals if you are:auto::auto::auto: ALL the time! But like one poster said about hubby working long hours, yes... when my husband is out on disaster relief trips etc... it is so much easier for me to be out all day with all 4 kids then be home where they could fight and destroy the house. lol

 

We have scouts on Monday nights. Boy and girls

CM Classical style coop on Tuesday afternoons

Music lessons on thursdays

homeschool group/field trips on fridays

So I guess the only day that we don't leave the house is Wednesday, but we probably go shopping that day or some church thing may come up...

[2squared]

My mom & I are "at odds" over this (not in a mean way, we just disagree), so I thought I'd ask: how many extercurricular activities is your DC involved in? Are they involved in more because they're homeschooled?

 

My kids aren't involved in more because they are homeschooled. Rather, being homeschooled allows them to still have a lot of free time between school and activities. I keep an eye on balancing how much time we spend on academics and activities so they can still have lots of free time. All regular activities happen between the end of school and dinner.

 

But....as my kids become older and more proficient in their activities, those activities are expanding into the weekends. My boys are wrestlers, and their wrestling tournaments have taken up at least one weekend day for the past few months. Now their practices are 2-3 nights/week too. It seems crazy for a 5yo & 7yo to spend so much time at an outside activity, but they are really, really good, and they love it with a passion. The wrestling coaches are fabulous with young boys, and I am so very glad my boys have this opportunity.

 

Then my 9yo played on the traveling basketball team this year, and discovered that she is passionate about basketball. Once again, her coaches were fabulous for developing skill and character, so I want to encourage her participation.

 

So now dh & I are looking at turning activities into more than just running here and there. Dh attends all the wrestling practices and tournaments so it's turning into dad & sons bonding activity. Next weekend we have babysitters coming so dh & I can have a date night watching dd's basektball tournament.

[Vanchy]

Right now we do:

Monday - piano lesson and karate

Tuesday - Karate

Wednesday - Rel. education (every week) and co.op class (every other week)

Thursday - Co.op class and soccer practice

Friday - Art class and Karate

Saturday - Karate and/or Soccer game (it depends on schedule)

Zoo activities - once a month

Most of our activities are scheduled for late afternoon, so we have time for play dates before.

[foxbridgeacademy]

Hmmm, I should have read your post more carefully before I answered. Everything we do out side of the house I consider school. In PS they have gym, music, art, free play, ect. That's what our co-ops and such groups cover, as well as Science. With HSing everything can be counted toward "school". Nothing in my view is "extra" curricular.

[lailasmum]

We are not doing any outside groups or classes at the moment. Tried a few over the years but nothing has clicked. We occasionally go to home education social groups and go swimming fairly regularly but no longer do swimming lessons. My dd struggles to join in with group physical activities, she is dyspraxic and the sports groups we have attended tend to go to fast for her.

 

I have plans to try a local music group soon for her, the new term starts in a few weeks.

[Sahamamama]

Not much at this point, but I can see a change coming. The girls are 7, 5, and 5 (twins). When they were younger, there was no way I wanted to cart them to activities, and I didn't feel they needed much outside the home. We visited grandparents, went to church, took family nature hikes and trips. We couldn't afford to sign them up for expensive lessons or classes, anyway.

 

Now that they are "school age," there are more opportunities and classes that I see as having real benefit. I wish we could afford music lessons for my oldest... sigh. Tomorrow I plan to sign her up for swimming lessons. I might sign up all three girls, we'll see. I would also like to sign the girls up for some sort of martial arts, perhaps in the fall. My oldest daughter would LOVE art lessons, but they are so expensive around here.

 

So, at the moment:

 

 

• Church (weekly)
  
• Swimming lessons (if we get into the class)
  

 

What I would like to add throughout the year:

 

 

 

• Music lessons (if we could afford them)
  
• Martial arts classes (if we could afford them)
  
• Art classes (if we could afford them)
  
• Aquarium or arboretum family membership (I think we will do this one)
  
• Science classes (I would love to find and afford some science classes beyond what I can offer them at home)
  

 

That's it. :glare: I went to a local CC open house and was not impressed. :tongue_smilie:I don't know of any local HS groups that would be a "fit" for us, the ones I know are composed of very laid-back unschoolers (whose children do not seem to read, write, or do math at any age). HTH.

[RoundAbout]

We do:

 

-Swim lessons twice a week

-Nature club/hiking group once or twice a week.

-Library story and craft time once a week.

 

As a family we do lots of biking, hiking, camping, skiing, rock climbing, etc. We also have memberships at the zoo, aquarium, Legoland, science museum, and botanical garden, and visit one of those at least once a week. A this age (5) I don't think a lot of classes or commitments are healthy. Swimming is really the only thing that is a paid obligation.

[coralloyd]

My girls, go to boxing class on Mon., theater and choral group on Tues. (I am involved with this also), and Mom Time and a nature hike with other homeschoolers on Fri.

 

They also, just started drum lessons with daddy. Thankfully we don't have to go anywhere for that though.

[MinivanMom]

dd8 - weekly ballet, weekly gymnastics, piano lessons (weekly lesson, daily practice), & twice a month church group activity

 

ds6 - weekly gymnastics and fall soccer/spring t-ball

 

In the fall dd8 will be adding an additional dance class and perhaps soccer, ds6 will be adding piano lessons, and dd4 will be taking her first dance class.

 

We would do these activities regardless of whether we homeschooled. Homeschooling just makes the activities less stressful, since we don't have to balance them against homework.

[ItoLina]

My ds5 does gymnastics, soccer, and drama club (with a local homeschool group). We also have a regular, once-a-week meet up with a couple of other homeschool families where the kids play and one of us mommies plans a couple of relaxed, but "schoolish" activites. I feel like this is a little too much for me, but he loves it all and I can't get him to drop anything. He really wanted to do soccer and I took him out of gymnastics when we signed him up and after a month he was begging to go back, so now he is in both. The Drama club and other meet up are places he gets to hang out with friends regularly and I like that for him.

[MomatHWTK]

Before I started kindergarten, I was home with my family. We did attend church and I was carted along to some of big sis' activities like 4-H or Girl Scouts. (She was 4 years older.) So I'm not feeling the whole gotta' go and do thing.

 

I guess I'm a homebody by nature though. If I had the age spread you do, asking to do lots of stuff outside of the home for me would just be exhausting and frustrating. :) My other kids are old enough that I can focus most of my attention on the 2 y.o. when we go out. It was much more challenging when the two middle children were younger.

 

We have done one activity at a time in the past, rock climbing was one that all three (at the time) did. When it was just the first two one did ballet and both did art classes for awhile. Now, we tend to do field trips as a family more than anything else.

 

Besides, when you start calculating the cost of each child getting their own activity or activities, things add up.

Edited March 10, 2012 by MomatHWTK

[jcross222]

My 2 sons age 9&12 have hockey 4 days a week. Three of my daughters have ice skating and dance once a week each. They all have tennis together once a week. My oldest daughter rides horses once a week.

I think we would probably do the same activities whether they were in school or not.

The great thing about homeschooling is that we can do our private lessons (horse,dance,and tennis) during regular school hours so our evenings are not so busy.