Lessons and kids About This Page:

[graygables]

Did you take lessons as a kid? Do you think it's more prevalent now than when you were younger?

I don't know if it's just having grown up in Germany in the Army, but the only lessons I had were piano (and I didn't want those!) My brothers didn't do anything outside of the school day (I take that back, my oldest bro was the drum major for the marching band, but that was it).

Today, at 9yo DDs skating lessons (since they are homeschooled, they each take piano plus a PE, so skating for 9yo and ballet for 7yo), there were moms talking about schedules and so-and-so had this at 5 and that at 630 and they only eat together as a family at Sunday lunch. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] Listening to these women really blew me away. I'm sure they thought mine were grossly deprived, but I just don't see that it's healthy for kids to be on the go and 'over-activated'...they need family time and time to just hang out in their rooms. It certainly wouldn't be healthy for ME, either, to be running them all over kingdom come...I need my at-home days too much!

So, do you think kids are in more activities now? Is it b/c parents felt deprived in their own childhoods? Keeping up with the Joneses? Pressure to find a niche?

[poohmaine]

I don't understand parents who feel that their children must be learning every single free minute. What happened to just playing?

My kids have a few activities, but not to the point of excess. And we are home almost every night to eat dinner as a family, unless my oldest is working, and that is only weekends.

[LBAK]

My oldest danced and played soccer. She had plenty of down time. My youngest is a real sports nut and she loves to be scheduled. She is involved in soccer(pretty much all year), basketball (winter), lacrosse (spring), saxophone lessons and art lessons. These are all at her asking and she loves every minute of it. My older DD couldn't do half of that, she needed a lot of down time. I don't mind driving them around as long as they enjoy it.

[GATechGal]

Being over-scheduled is just TOO stressful. As a kid I did Girl Scouts and Piano. And like a year of ballet. That's it. My brother did baseball and later guitar lessons. Oh, and I think we did Swim Team a couple of summers, which was probably a good thing to keep us from sleeping til noon.
My kids do swim team in the summer, Lizzie does Gymnastics and Chet does Baseball. We did fall ball last year, but will probably stick to just spring from now on. We did some other stuff, but have really dropped it cause it was just too much.

[krisk11]

I think kids are definately more busy with lessons than when I was a kid. My dd has played ice hockey since she was 4 and plays year round travel hockey which takes us all over. We just came back from Canada and in July we will be in Portland Maine. I never got to do even half the stuff my dd gets to do.

[MontiMouse]

Growing up the only thing I really did was horse riding. We limit Macy to only 2 afterschool activities during the school year (tumbling and hip hop) and then she also rides horses a few days a week at home (my husband is giving her lessons). We eat dinner together, as a family, every night but one. During the summer, hip hop ends but tumbling continues and then she does at least one session of swimming lessons and usually a couple of cheerleading or dance camps. I have friends whose kids seem to participate in absolutely everything and, honestly, it exhausts me to think of all the running around they do.

[Happymommy]

I took swimming lessons and horseback riding lessons. I took piano for 6 years. I begged and begged and begged for dancing lessons (from the time I was 4)-- but my dad told me I didn't have a dancer's body-- he said I was too tall (isn't that terrible?? I mean he's right, I was really tall and uncoordinated as a kid-- but come on lol!!), he thought I would be more suited for swimming-- so that's what I took (and hated every second of it).

[Jennifer2003]

I took dance lessons from the time I was 6 til I was about 11.

[Teresa]

I did Boy Scouts (didn't like G.S.) and took either piano, guitar or horse riding, depending on the year.

My kids are only allowed to do 2 things each - and one has to be scouts, something similar, or a school club. That means that they have to think about what they want to do and how to get it done. There is also no quitting in the middle of the year or season because "I don't like it anymore"
I know what you mean about the scheduling. I think it's ridiculous to have your kids in so much. I AM NOT A TAXI!

[BabieeMelly]

when I was younger I went to gymnastics for four years and Mike and I were on a bowling league for about two years. Then Mike played baseball for nine years, and I played softball for six. Softball was without a doubt my favorite, because my best friends were on my team and our dad's were the coaches. We traveled throughout the city and were the only team who had a boombox in the dugout with them [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/roflmao.gif[/img] Our parents would also have a big party each game, bringing snacks and drinks and having a great time. It was SO much fun!

[Joanne929]

When I was a kid, I took dance but didn't even make it to the recital (I hated it!) and swimming lessons for a summer or two, DH was in Scouts.

My kids do a few things during the school year: Josh is in Boy Scouts (1x week), and plays baseball (spring, and summer and fall if it's offered); Jeffrey is in Cub Scouts (3-4x month) and plays spring baseball; Jamie is in Brownies (2-3x month), takes dance (ballet/tap/jazz - 1x week) and will also play spring baseball, and don't forget CCD 1x week.
During the summer, the boys will go to Scout camp for 1 week (different weeks) and all 3 will do either 2 or 4 weeks of the rec. program (3 hours a day).

I think it's good for them to be involved in some organized activities and socialize with kids they maybe wouldn't normally, but they get plenty of 'free' time too.

[clio]

I took swimming lesson, dance and was in Girl Scouts as a kid.
DD was in Girl Scouts, played softball and took swimming leson in the summer. I have a friend whose kids are in everything. I makes me tired just thinking of all the running around she does.
Liz

[Tink and co.]

We were overscheduled last year, or namely I was. The kids were fine, but when you times the activities by three, it made for a lot of running around for me. So this fall we didn't participate in any organized activities except piano lessons. It was a lovely break, and we found out no more tournament sports for us (until they can take themselves). We'll continue piano lessons, and softball and baseball start soon enough, but the girls will play on the same recreational team this season, and DH is coaching. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif[/img] and Zoie starts back up with ballet tomorrow, hopefully, we'll keep it to once a week. And she's in band too...sigh. My kids love to be busy, busy, busy. I did brownies and swimming lessons when I was a kid. Usually went to summer camp for a week, and took kid classes at our local community college. I guess I liked being busy too.

[travismom]

I was involved in a lot of activities in school, basketball, band, tennis, journalism staff, etc. Travis is involved in alot of sports. I think kids need to be involved in things, but not to the point where they are so busy, they don't have time for homework and family time. I talked with a mother of one of the student's at Travis' school and she said that her daughter doesn't get home until 10:00 at night about twice a week. That's too busy. So, do I think kids need extra-curricular activities, yes. But just learn to balance the time and don't over do it!!