Activities outside school (primary age)

wannabe_sybil

OP - I can't physically do much with my five year old. While I am careful how much/how age appropriate things are, in these circumstances I think it is important.

btw - are there swimming classes that are for children whose parents can't swim? I can't, and I have always thought it would be impossible for ds to do them without a parent.

balletshoes

wannabe_sybil wrote: »

btw - are there swimming classes that are for children whose parents can't swim? I can't, and I have always thought it would be impossible for ds to do them without a parent.

yes, contact your local swimming pool, there are regular after-school or weekend swimming classes for children only, the instructors are provided for them by the management of the pool/LA etc.

Strapped

Personally, I feel sorry for the poor little sods who get signed up for every after-school club because their parents are too busy working to want to spend any time with them.

Mine had swimming lessons, and we do martial arts together as a family.

sooty&sweep

Hi

It should depend on the child and what they want to do and are interested in and what opportunities present themselves.

My son (11) has done beavers/cubs and now is a scout and he also does judo (one evening and saturday morning). He wanted to do these activities, enjoys doing these activities, gets to do so many things I can't do with him and has made lots of friends from doing these activities. He was 5 3/4 when he started beavers and roughly 7 when he started judo.
He still can't swim despite numerous lessons but he hates it !

My daughter (6) does swimming, judo and beavers at the moment so two evenings and saturday morning) but has also done after school she has done street dance and biscuit decorating. She is a very enthusiastic child and loves trying new things ! She was doing a gyminies class on a saturday morning age 3 and thats where my son saw the judo and decided he fancied trying it.
They don't do all these activities because I'm unwilling to do things with them they do them because they want to and it doesn't give me more free time because my friday evening is spent at the swiming pool chaperoning my daughter and then dropping my son off at scouts and then picking up at 9.30pm and then my saturday morning is spent at the sports centre chaperoning my daughter whilst she does judo.
I totally agree that children shouldn't be shuttled from one activity to another without time at home but by the same token there is nothing wrong with them participating in activities if that is what they and their parents want them to do. It gives them the opportunity to learn new skills, make new friends and develop some independance from their parents.

Jen

Janepig

Strapped wrote: »

Personally, I feel sorry for the poor little sods who get signed up for every after-school club because their parents are too busy working to want to spend any time with them.

Mine had swimming lessons, and we do martial arts together as a family.

Personally I know of no-one who fits that criteria. I work (albeit part time) and I feel no guilt about that fact whatsoever. I have what I consider to be a pretty perfect work/life balance, and my kids go to activities they enjoy - I'm not the fittest and most active person (pretty bone idle actually ) so they are doing stuff they'd never do with me. And as I mentioned in my previous post, if they ever didn't want to do anything then I wouldn't force them to go. But for instance, DD chose to do rugby after being given a flyer at a local carnival which was from a local team asking for kids to join. I didn't push her, she wanted to do it. None of my working friends do it out of guilt either. What a load of old stuff and nonsense. I'm sure there's plenty of "stay at home mums" ferrying their kids to all sorts of activities too.

Jx

kjmtidea

It isn't essential but I think that it is really nice for children to have a hobby of some sort, obviously if they want to! My 6,8 and 10 year old do Taekwondo, my 4 year old wants to do it when he is a little older. They love it to bits but it costs a fortune!

Strapped

Janepig wrote: »

Personally I know of no-one who fits that criteria. I work (albeit part time) and I feel no guilt about that fact whatsoever. I have what I consider to be a pretty perfect work/life balance, and my kids go to activities they enjoy - I'm not the fittest and most active person (pretty bone idle actually ) so they are doing stuff they'd never do with me. And as I mentioned in my previous post, if they ever didn't want to do anything then I wouldn't force them to go. But for instance, DD chose to do rugby after being given a flyer at a local carnival which was from a local team asking for kids to join. I didn't push her, she wanted to do it. None of my working friends do it out of guilt either. What a load of old stuff and nonsense. I'm sure there's plenty of "stay at home mums" ferrying their kids to all sorts of activities too.

Jx

Why is it a load of old stuff and nonsense? I see it all the time with kids at my son's school.

You seem to have taken my post as a dig at working parents, which it was not. I am one! But there ARE certain families where the kids virtually never see their parents, and yes I feel sorry for them. So shoot me.

ETA: Oh and I think that you may be confusing me with Fluffnutter about the guilt thing!

tibawo

What a great thread - i've chuckled as i've read it in a nice way. As i actually asked my daughters if they don't like being with me as they do so much. My mum says 'coming from you' and promptly told the girls of what clubs/activities i did. Even when i started teaching [before mobiles]my friends used to ring when credits for ER came on as they knew that was the one time i was home. If they rang during it then they weren't a friend!

8 year old has netball and now dance after on monday, tues is swimming, weds is choir and then brownies, sat is dance club and sun is sunday school. She came home with a letter that she been chosen for the rugby tag team and was telling me when she needed picking up and from where.LOL

The 5 year old does the swims on tues, rainbows on weds, dance on sat and sun school.

I meanwhile have no life, no friends and no money!!

Janepig

Strapped wrote: »

Why is it a load of old stuff and nonsense? I see it all the time with kids at my son's school.

You seem to have taken my post as a dig at working parents, which it was not. I am one! But there ARE certain families where the kids virtually never see their parents, and yes I feel sorry for them. So shoot me.

ETA: Oh and I think that you may be confusing me with Fluffnutter about the guilt thing!

In my experience it is stuff and nonsense. My children go to a large school, loads of children there, and I can say hand on heart that there are no children I know of who go to after school activities because of guilt on the part of their working parents. It's just not something I can identify with. I can think of two (working) friends who I think perhaps push their children a little bit too much, but not for guilt reasons, I think there are other reasons why they do it.

I can't say I recognise it amongst the other children and parents from other schools who I see at gymnastics, football or rugby. Funnily enough, DD was at a sports camp for two days last week even though myself and DH were home for half term, because she really really wanted to do it and enjoys it, but I suppose it is run as somewhere to send children who are too young to be left home alone if their parents can't get time off over half term. What's wrong with that?

The guilt thing wasn't particularly aimed at you, it's just that I happened to quote you (and I did think of not quoting anyone, just posting what I did).

Jx