This is a follow up to a recent posting about extra-curricular activities and why they are important for students Many of my readers made comments about how busy students are these days and how it’s sad that kids can’t just be kids anymore. Other comments I received mentioned how unfortunate it is that students have to play these “games” just to be accepted into college. I agree with many of these comments and believe that in American society today, kids are sometimes pushed too hard and too fast by their parents, teachers, coaches, and peers. The key to this problem, as is for most issues in life, is to find the balance between it all. The hours between 4:00 and 8:00 after school are a short and hectic amount of time They must be scheduled and planned for wisely.
Consider all of the activities that must be crammed into this time frame.
sports practice/games rehearsals
playtime or rest time
How is a student going to fit it all in?
1. Prioritize: You can’t do it all. I personally struggle with this one. There are so many worthy ways to spend your time, but it is imperative to choose your activities wisely. How do you do this? Ask yourself: What are my goals? Why do I want to participate in this activity? What will I gain from it? What will I lose from it? Will I enjoy it?
2. Personality: What kind of person are you? Can you handle being extremely busy, running from one activity to the next? Do you need a lot of down time to keep a handle on your school work? What are your family responsibilities?
3. Performance: If your grades start to slip because of your extra-curriculars, you are doing too much. Re-evaluate in which activities you are involved. Which activity can you take a break from to get your grades back to where they should be? Can you cut back on part of an activity to allow for more study time or family time? There is a lot to consider when choosing extra-curricular activities.
How do you decide in which activities to involve yourself or your children? How do you find balance?
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