Extracurricular Activities Yes? No?

There is always a debate about whether or not you should put your kids in extracurricular activities. I have been thinking a lot about this recently. I am all for putting them in those activities and I have done so with my children. SJ is starting her second year of dance which she adores! Both D3 and SJ will be starting fall soccer soon. This will be the first year for both of them and they are super excited! I believe that they will benefit from these activities. I also know that I have benefited from being in extracurricular activities. I was lucky enough to have part of my college education paid for because I could shoot a basketball and kick a soccer ball. I will be forever grateful to my parents for putting me in those activities growing up.

Here are my top reasons why you should put your kids in some type of activity.

   Your little one will develop a friendship with someone they may have never met before. They may have a new best friend that will be by their side for the rest of their life. If they are part of a team there is a bond between athletes that you may never understand unless you are one of them. Being part of a team allows you to have friends who have had to deal with the evilness of conditioning as well as the joy of winning. 

    Even though your little one may not be the next Micheal Jordan they will learn more than just how to shoot a basketball. This goes for any activity which they choose to do not just sports. A few of those skills are....

• Team Work
• Responsibility
• Sportsmanship
• Perseverance
• Time Management
• Commitment

         I think that this is the most important reason to put kids in activities. How are they going to know whether they like a new activity without putting them in it. There are so many different activities that kids can participate in now a days. Everything from scouts, team sports, art and crafts, cooking classes, nature exploring, dance, cheerleading, karate, 4H, and the list goes on and on. Just giving your kid the chance to try it might change their interest. 

         This reason is more towards the older child but I think it might still work for a younger child. If this activity is something that they love it will help them boost their self esteem. If they find something that they are really good at will help them build their self esteem. It will make them feel good about themselves and the things that they have accomplished. 

Now I believe that that there is a fine line between too many activities and the right amount. I believe that it depends on the child. When I was younger I could dance and play a team sport at the same time. However I know other people who could not do that. I also believe that it depends on what the activity is. I do not think that many children could be on competitive dance team AND a competitive cheer team at the same time or anything similar to that example. Everyone knows what their kid can handle. 

Are your kids involved in any activities? If so what ones? Leave me a comment and let me know! 

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