September 2008 - Choosing The Extra Activities

With the cost of fuel going up and our spare time dwindling down, parents have easy access to reasons not to encourage their children's interests in out-of-school activities. As your family jumps into the 2008-2009 school year, it is a good time to weigh the pros and cons of these activities and ways we might be able to make this work.

One of the best ways to get your children to and from activities is and always has been car pooling. If you do not know other families at the activity take the initiative to say "hi." Remember, they very well could be looking for someone to share the rides with also. Getting to know these folks also gives you familiar faces to look for at events.

Plan other activities around practice and other events. If practice is in town, plan to get groceries or other items while you are in town anyway. Save a trip. Also, planning comes in handy for week night dinners. Keep them simple and sustaining and you will have one less reason to stress.

This is also a great opportunity to clue your kids in on the real life fact that to enjoy special activities, everyone has to help out and sacrifice. Let them help more with dinner and be sure the extra activity does not distract from household chores and homework. They also can wait for that new game for the X Box or that new music CD so the family is more able to support the new activity.

Sports are excellent activities for children to participate in and there is a good variety that will accommodate most children's interests and ability level. Fall has volleyball and football. Winter brings wrestling and basketball. Spring sees the entrance of track and field, baseball and softball. Most counties have youth leagues in several sports that let the children start by age six.

Check your county for soccer, cross country running, gymnastics, martial arts or other physical opportunities. Hopefully with the selection in your area your children will be able to find something that fits them. Being physically active is a big part of building a strong child and a healthy adult.

But, there are bunches of other activities. Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and 4-H are all excellent organizations with long records of being a positive influence on millions of young people. Awanas and other church programs offer a Christian based environment to teach and grow fellowship, friendship and faith. Schools offer Heads Up programs with lots of choices of activities for the children. They also have clubs for academic interests like Spanish, math, science, chorus and band. Contact your children's school to see what they offer.

As you are making the decision about what activities your family can do, remember that you do not want to over-extend yourself financially, emotionally or physically. Saying yes to too many activities is just as hard on your family as doing nothing at all - just in a different way. Stretching to encourage your children will also help you grow. Balance is the key.

A word of caution to well meaning parents: Let your child choose the activity or no one, I mean no one, will enjoy a moment of it. This is to foster their interests, not yours.

Extra activities require extra time, extra money and extra energy. These same extra activities give our children extra confidence, extra knowledge and extra skills.