publication date: Apr 27, 2007
We all know of families where the kids seem to have
an activity planned for
every afternoon. While it’s tempting to try to
fill any gaps in the
education system with extra maths and so on, children do need time to be themselves and just chill out.
Child psychologists advise that the
best activities are those which encourage
socialising and exercise. A team
sport or a
language or drama club will also encourage social skills as will joining the Brownies or Beavers.
Learning a
musical instrument, while popular with parents, requires a lot of
practice and
commitment that makes it less so with kids. Many fall by the wayside and arguing about how much they’ve practised can put
extra stress on family life and makes what should be an enjoyable hobby into a
chore.
Whatever
choices you make about after school clubs or activities,
remember children need:
- Time to play with friends.
- Space to develop interests and hobbies at their own pace.
- Sustenance – they’ll need a snack and drink to keep their energy levels up.
- To be involved in decisions – they might hate the idea of swimming but love tap dancing.
Remember you have to factor in time to take and collect your child to the activity and that may involve dragging a tired and unwilling sibling along too!
