After School - What Do Kids Do?

So little Scotty doesn't want to go to|starts pitching a fit before] his soccer practice after school? Or Kate doesn't want to go to her ballet class? These are the after school activities that they begged to take and were so excited when you signed them up, so what's wrong now? It can be really bewildering to parents who have spent well earned money to give their children the opportunity to express themselves in activities they said they were dying to take, but are now cringing at even the mere mention of those activities.

Instead of forcing your child to go to these after school activities, sit down with your child and ask some very important questions. Ask them if something has changed about the class or sport. Is there a new teacher or coach? Is there a new student or participant who outshines everyone else? Is there a bully there? Did your child think that it was going to be more fun than work? You don't want to make this seem like an interrogation because if your child feels like you are grilling them, they will just clam up. Think back to when they started this activity. Has their aversion of the activity come on suddenly, or has it been a gradual decline in interest? Talk to the teacher/coach and get their input. You could discover that the teacher/coach is pressuring your child, and maybe all the other children, more than you expected. Watch a practice or class. Does it look like the kids are having fun? If you were a kid, would you want to participate in this class/sport?

Another important issue is the teacher-to-child ratio. If your child feels that they aren't getting the attention they need to do well, they will get bored and discouraged. If there are too many children, the teacher may be overwhelmed and spend most of the activity time dealing with the unruly children instead of teaching all of them. Most states recommend that the teacher-to-student ratio be 1-15.

Children are just like a lot of adults, if they can't solve a problem they will try to avoid putting themselves into that situation. If after talking to the teacher and observing the after school activity, you feel that there are no real problems there, you need to focus on your child. Does your child have any friends in the activity? Very often, cliques form in these activities and your child may feel left out. Encourage your child to approach another child who seems to be left out and try and make friends with them. You also need to look at your child's school work If they have just started a new school year, they may be overwhelmed with the new classes and feel pressured to excel both at school and then in their after school activity. As important as you may feel it is to have Scotty do well in soccer, or Kate do well in ballet, keep in mind that school is far more important than any after school activity!

If after your investigations of the activity and talking to your child, they still don't want to play soccer with the award winning coach, you just have to let your child do what makes them happiest. If they still want to have an after school activity, then look together for one that will better suit them. Forcing a child to do something they don't want to do, or doesn't have the talent for is not right. Any and all after school activities should be something your child looks forward to and not dread. With a little bit of work on both your parts, you and your child will find their niche in something that is both fun and fulfilling for them.

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Dana Allen has been writing articles and publishing editorials for over 3 years covering a number of popular topics of everyday life. Most recently, he has been learning about toys for his kids including info about wooden rocking horse designs. Discover what he learned about this timeless children's toy at www.wooden-rocking-horse.net.

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