How many extra curricular activities should a child be involved in?
By rinkub
@rinkub (231)
India
August 21, 2007 3:22am CST
I've been noticing that nowadays mothers are getting too ambitious for their kids. In my son's class(he's in class three), there are kids who go for 4-5 extra activities every day. They have been enrolled into all kinds of classes. There's a boy who after school which is from seven in the morning till two in the afternoon, goes for private tuitions, basketball coaching, drawing, swimmimg, karate, elocution classes on any given day and all at different venues. He is one of the toppers in class undoubtedly and is always selected for all programmes in school. But last year, he faced a serious medical problem. For about six months, his lips would bleed continuously. They visited many doctors but to no avail. Finally, one doctor diagnosed it as stress. He would continuously bite his lips without giving them a chance to heal. From the outside he was a nice, friendly, sporty boy but he was suffering from phenomenal internal stress. His dad later revealed that his mom was very ambitious for him and wanted her son to excel in everything.
My son is an average student. His grades in school are okay, he learns the piano and off and on is selected for activities in school. Not always. We don't put pressure on him. I really wonder sometimes whether I should step up the pressure as he's quite talented especially in art and enroll him in more classes. Or should I just let him enjoy his childhood. I know at least one extra activity is required for the child to unwind and might stand him in good stead later in life but he already has a lot of academic pressure to cope with. What do you all think?
1 response
@mansha (6298)
• India
27 Oct 07
I agree with you kids are as it is under a lot of pressure to cope up and adding to it extra burden of too many activities is cumbersme. I have just enrolled my sonm for painting lessons too but that was at his own request, I was a bit apprehensive as he already takes tabla lessons and now he will be busy four days a week but he enjoyed his first class so much that I was glad that I agreed. He always felt he dosen't know how to draw and I think these classes if nothing else will give him confidence that he knows.
One must strike a balance while putting child through extra activities after school. Child must get some days for himself too and I think we should leave it to the child after a certtain age to see if he likes what he is learning or is just doing for our sake. Parents who refuse to acknowledge child's point of view either way often have to face such consequences.
