Kids love the idea of joining different activities in school. Aside from keeping them occupied, after school activities give them the opportunity to explore their interests and passion, develop self confidence, and teach them how to manage their time.
There is no denying that after school activities can help your children in a variety of ways. But with a crazy schedule, most parents are having a hard time juggling work demands, family duties, and social obligations. Parents’ schedule can even balloon out of control when siblings choose different school activities.
Here are some tips for managing your kids’ busy after school schedules.
Find the perfect fit
Most parents encourage the kids to join extracurricular activities help them find their passion. Some parents find comfort in knowing that their kids are doing something productive and beneficial, not just hanging out.
If you want to keep your kids pre-occupied, find the right fit your kid and your family. Will it be music or martial arts? Scouts or soccer? Chess or computers? Ballet or basketball? Your child’s interest, cost, and travel factor are just some of the things you need to consider when choosing extracurricular activities.
Keep the extra in extracurricular
Today, children are more involved in activities. Many of them are involved in after school clubs, multiple sports or different camps. However, having too much extracurricular activities can be exhausting for kids. Remember, these activities require time and commitment. With a tight schedule and back-to-back activities, children will end up stressed, exhausted, and frustrated. It can even affect their academic performance.
If you’re tired of driving your child from one place to another, your child is similarly tired. As a student, academics should be their number one priority. The last thing you want is for them to fail in class because they’re spending too much time in extracurricular activities.
Seek help from family members
Working mothers have to work double duty. They’ll have to drive their kids to their various after-school activities once they get out of the office.
If you don’t think you can pick up your child on time, consider seeking help from family their grandparents, uncles or aunts. If they can look after the kids a few days a week, the better.