Saturday, August 16, 2008

Countdown to Routine

School starts here on August 25th. This means a return to early bedtimes, early mornings, and extra activities. I also hear N will have actual homework this year. In Kindergarten, there was only homework a couple of times all year. The teacher did ask us to read nightly, but we do that anyway.

Lance and I really want our kids to be just that - kids. They have such a short season of their life where they can play and be imaginative. I want them to experience activities and learn how to be on a team and play well with others too. So, the great balancing act begins...

We let each of the kids have only one activity at once. This doesn't include their church activities on Sundays.

N is still trying to decide between soccer (2 nights a week plus Saturday games) or gymnastics (1 night a week). We've given him until August 22nd to make his decision.

LeeLee is going to do dance - 1 night a week

I honestly don't know how parents schedule more than this. I'm having a hard time thinking about N choosing soccer knowing that it will take up this much time and he's only 6, for heaven's sake!! How do parents with more than 2 kiddos do it? I just don't know!

So, what's your strategy or advice here? Do you let your kids do as many things as they want? Do you keep them out of outside activities until they are a certain age?

Do tell.

1 comment:

Becky said...

Only one thing per child here, outside of church. Only one thing in church as well!
It was too hard to do church choir, Awanas, and other children's ministry activities. So, he chooses choir or Awana. Usually Awana.
Not playing a sport this fall for Jman. Real anxious about 3rd grade and want to get a handle on school getting started. Then, he'll play Upward Basketball. Fall baseball is too demanding and he doesn't like soccer. Our church is starting Upward Soccer. You should have looked in to that! Only 1 practice a week and games on Saturday at the church's fields. Tried to talk J into that but, he wouldn't.
Agirl is our gymnastics queen. She is doing that again this fall!