WHY AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES MATTER SO MUCH 

SELECTING THE RIGHT ACTIVITIES

THE AGE OF THE CHILDREN

THE SKILLS AND/OR INTERESTS OF THE CHILD 

THE COSTS INVOLVED 

YOUR CHILD’S DESIRES

YOUR SCHEDULE

KEEPING YOUNGER CHILDREN BUSY

EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES THAT ARE ACTUALLY FUN

GETTING CREATIVE AT HOME

THE POWER OF IMAGINATION.

HOW TO GET SOMETHING BENEFICIAL OUT OF TELEVISION TIME TOGETHER 

INTRODUCING 

THE SPIRIT OF VOLUNTEERISM

ORGANIZED ACTIVITIES CAN BE THE CHARM 

ENGAGING OLDER CHILDREN.

FUN, EDUCATIONAL PROJECTS .

HANDS-ON HELP

VOLUNTEERING TEACHES LIFELONG SKILLS 

ORGANIZED ACTIVITIES KEEP TEENS BUSY AND ‘COOL’

UNIVERSAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY 28 THE POWER OF READING

BACKYARD SPORTS

HOME IMPROVEMENT 101 

 

WHY AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES MATTER SO MUCH

 

Just about every parent has seen the horror story headlines about kids who are left alone to their own devices after school. When supervision isn’t high and kids aren’t engaged after school, all kinds of bad things can happen. Even good kids can slip up and get into big trouble.

 

There are also issues that can arise with children who are supervised, but not necessarily engaged. Mom or Dad can be at home with the kids every day after school, but the youngsters can still be bored. This can lead to behavioral problems and an atmosphere that is just not pleasant for anyone to be in. Once homework and chores are done, many kids just need more than television or video games to entertain and engage them.

 

A study performed by the New York Chapter of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids showed that children who are left unsupervised for several days a week are seven times more likely than their supervised counterparts to become the victims of crime. The same study concluded that kids who are engaged in after-school activities are also less likely to commit crimes themselves, do drugs and engage in sexual behavior.

 

Beyond the horror stories, which aren’t representative of every kid that’s left alone to play video games or watch TV after school, there are other very compelling reasons why keeping them busy makes sense.

 

SELECTING THE RIGHT ACTIVITIES

 

Suzy takes ballet. Tommy goes to karate. Jimmy has to be dropped off at soccer practice. Caroline has Girl Scouts.

 

If you’ve hung around parents with busy kids, you know the scheduling can be downright insane. Trying to make sure everyone gets to where they need to go after school can be an exercise worthy of a logistics expert. Still, many parents make it work one way or another.

 

Why? Is it really worth going to that much trouble when putting all the kids in the same activity would make life so much easier for the parents?

 

While having to be in four different places on the same night might not be the wisest choice, giving kids the ability to choose – to an extent – their own path when it comes to after-school activities is important.

Remember, no two kids are alike. Suzy might excel at ballet, but Caroline could have two left feet. Tommy might love the discipline of karate and Jimmy the team spirit of soccer. Letting them explore the things that appeal to them and that they are actually good at can help you and them reap all the benefits of after-school activities.

 

Do keep in mind that not every good, rewarding after-school activity has to be organized, costly or even require classes. Your children might love to create works of art or simply want to build model cars with dad. It could be they want to spend time learning how to cook or taking up gardening. Let them assist you in selecting activities, and the options that come up might just surprise you.

 

Still, you will want to guide the process. There are keys to helping them and you find the perfect activities after school that can engage them and help them grow. Some of the basic rules of the road to keep in mind as you consider the options available at home and in your community include these below.

 

THE AGE OF THE CHILDREN

 

In order to gain the benefits that activities can provide, the selection should be age appropriate, or at least universal. Putting very young children into organized after-school activities every day of the week, for example, might be too much. While they might have fun a day a week or even two, keep in mind they’ve been away from you at school. They might want some kid and mom or dad time, too. Also, do keep in mind the ability level of the child in question. A kindergartener might adore the idea of taking beginning painting, but lessons that are technically geared for older children might actually serve to discourage them rather than encourage them. Teens, too, will not generally benefit from activities that are geared too low for their level. There are, however, plenty of activities that can be described as “universal.” This means they can be altered to suit any age. We’ll talk about some ideas on this front a little later.

 

THE SKILLS AND/OR INTERESTS OF THE CHILD

 

It is important to try and match up children with after-school activities. Forcing a child who is terrified of large animals to take horseback riding lessons, for example, can be a very bad idea. Pay attention to the natural skills of the youngster in question, the things they tend to gravitate toward and even the activities their friends are engaged in. Nudging in one direction or another is okay. Forcing a teenage boy who loves basketball, but hates football, to toss the pigskin five nights a week because Dad did will likely only backfire on you.

THE COSTS INVOLVED

 

While most parents would love to say yes to just about any after-school activity that keeps kids out of trouble and having fun, sometimes the options just aren’t feasible. Do pay attention to the costs involved and carefully size up the pricing before giving a green light. Hockey, for example, might seem like a cheap sport to take up, but this is not necessarily the case. Do your homework as a parent before you move forward. If your child is really hooked on a particular activity and you cannot afford it, consider other alternatives. Some sports leagues offer scholarships. Community-based programs in art might be cheaper than

 

And much more...

 

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