I am just curious. I was talking to this girl during a scrapbooking event and the amount of stuff this ladies kid was in was unbelieveable. He has done basketball, t-ball, football, boy scouts, karate and I think there was more. Of course not all at the same time but at least several at one time. The thing that amazed me was were talking because we both worked second so she could relate to how I feel. But her dh obviously has to do most of these things because she is working. She was not sure if he was even still in scouts. My son is in scouts, and he is going to start t-ball. My daughter is 4 and there is not as much opportunity's for her but we just found a place to do gymnastics that I can take her to during the day. My dk's might do swimming again I have to check the price now that I am not a member at the Y. I think swimming is important to learn. Anyway I try to keep them in one sport and my son scouts. I just was curious what others do. I think overdoing it is stressful for all involved.

By Mommyof4 on Monday, April 18, 2005 - 02:02 pm:

My 6th Grader - Competition Cheerleading team - pracitce 1.5 hours 2 X week, Gymnastics class 1 hour 1 X per week, plays Violin after school pracitce 1 x per week and quarterly recitals at school, plays volleyball in fall AND spring - pracitce 1 hour 1 x/week - game 1 hour 1x per week.

My 3rd grader - Competition Dance team - pracitce 1 hour 2 X per week, girl scouts - 1 hour meeting every 2 weeks, plays basketball 1 hr practice/week 1 hour game/week, plays Volleyball in fall AND spring 1 hour practice/week 1 hour game/week

My 2nd grader - plays basketball - micro team still so pracitce and game all on same day 1 hour per week, Volleyball fall AND spring - micro also so 1 hour per week includes practice and game, Girl Scouts every week -- goes to 3rd graders with her sister and I AND goes to a troop with girls from her class.

My 5 year old - just started spring Pre-K soccer - micro has practice and game 1 x/week

My 3 year old just has various dr and pt appointments

By Debbie on Monday, April 18, 2005 - 02:07 pm:

Both of my dks play baseball in the spring/summer. My youngest is in swimming right now too, but he does this on the mornings that he is not in preschool. I have him in swimming right now, because I want him swimming well by summer. My oldest ds also plays basketball in the winter. They have both been bugging me about taking karate, so I am looking into a program for this summer. Usually during the school year, I try and keep them to just 1 or 2 activities at a time. For us, this is enough with school.

By Trina~moderator on Monday, April 18, 2005 - 02:10 pm:

Currently my kids (6 & 8) are in nothing (their choice) but they have done soccer, basketball, gymnastics, swimming, etc. in the past. Usually only one thing at a time per child and only if I'm able to get them to and from the activities conveniently. I don't believe in breaking the bank or running myself and the kids ragged by keeping BUSY, BUSY all the time. They have school, homework, play time and possibly one extra curricular activity. I feel that's more than enough. It's so important for kids to have down time and to learn how to keep themselves entertained by doing good old fashioned things like playing outside, reading, doing puzzles, building with Legos, researching a topic of interest, etc.. JMHO

By Brandy on Monday, April 18, 2005 - 02:16 pm:

My boys are racing again this year but not as into as in the past Danny will have to work 2 weekends off per month so that only leaves 2 other weekends that he might be able to race them Nicholas really wants to race but at $20 per race it's going to be harder to do this year..Alex on the other hand is just pretty much content on just playing with all of the other kids = ) ...We try to do only 1 thing at a time also and usually it's just racing which isn't bad because it goes on for 6 months they have 12 races during this time..

By Jackie on Monday, April 18, 2005 - 03:36 pm:

My older 2 kids are in activities.
Right now my 10 yr old boy goes to boyscouts one night a week. Hes also enrolled in a 6 week pottery class(they meet once a week). My daughter goes to girlscouts 1 night a week. In May she will start swim lessons, which will be 2 nights a week for 5 weeks.
So although my kids are busy, they are not overly busy with activities.

By Boxzgrl on Monday, April 18, 2005 - 03:36 pm:

DD is of course too young to be in anything but I don't think i'll let her do more than one thing at a time. Everyone is too rushed in life these days and we're showing it to our kids by having them do the same thing and it's not doing anyone any good. It's time to relax, take a deep breath and enjoy life instead of rushing through it like we have somewhere to go. Sorry if i'm a bit "fresh" on this subject but it was a topic in church yesterday that really holds a true meaning. I also think by having kids in so many extra curricular activities, we are holding these activities at the same level of importance as schooling. I only say that because where in the world do they get the time to study and focus on school when they have so many sports and activities to be to? Yes, this is my pet peeve of the week, lol!

By Bellajoe on Monday, April 18, 2005 - 03:48 pm:

My dd (5) has been in, tap dance, ballet dance, mommy and me class, swimming, Little Gym and is now in T-ball. Now we have never done more than one thing/class at a time.

Right now she goes to Little Gym onces a week and has T-ball practice twice a week (no games yet). In the summer we are going to drop the Little Gym and start swimming lessons.

Ds (4) has been in a pre-school play class, and Little Gym and swimming lessons. Again, not at the same time. This summer we will drop Little Gym for him as well and begin the swimming lessons again. No sports for him yet, he is too young.

Once they start going to school full time and having homework to do, that will be the priority. As long as they get good grades, they can stay in Gymnastics, or whatever they are into at the time. If no good grades, no fun for them LOL!

By Mommmie on Monday, April 18, 2005 - 04:07 pm:

None, really. We've been through karate, piano, basketball, gymnastics and he hated all of it. My 10-year-old wants to do self directed things. He loves to go swimming, but refuses lessons, for example and he taught himself to be an excellent swimmer just by me taking him to the pool a lot. He'll play some sports as a pick up game but *hates* organized sports and all the adults yelling at him, he says.

He is signed up for chess club this year, his choice ($200) but if he goes home with a friend afterschool on Fridays he misses it and doesn't care. I doubt I'll sign him up for it next school year.

By Brandy on Monday, April 18, 2005 - 04:18 pm:

I forgot to add the cub scouts but that is only for a couple more weeks and it's only 1 night a week for 1 hour..

By Yjja123 on Monday, April 18, 2005 - 04:29 pm:

Currently:
Son: baseball 2 practices a week/ 2 games a week
Daughter: dance practice 2 times a week/ recitals & shows approx. 10 times in the year.

By Unschoolmom on Monday, April 18, 2005 - 04:43 pm:

Nothing. Last year Catherine was involved in quite a few things and though she liked them she's more of a homebody and didn't like the running around so there's nothing this year. She has expressed an interest in animals and martial arts lately though so something may be coming up.

By Vicki on Monday, April 18, 2005 - 04:56 pm:

Right now, nothing and I love it. LOL She has been in T-ball, gymnastics, cheerleading and Girl Scouts. She would much rather just play outside with the neighborhood kids than be in a organized sport. I am going with that while it lasts. LOL

By Kaye on Monday, April 18, 2005 - 06:18 pm:

I feel like copmarativly my kids aren't in much, but with this board I would say, maybe a lot. WE have a general rule of 1 sport at a time (if they want), scouts and then music if they want. Spring is the worst for us, because that is when their sports usually start.

My 5th grader,
she does gs with me as the leader we meet twice a month.
Choir, after school, one hour, once a week.
Volley ball, practice on one night, game on sat.

My 3rd grader,
cub scouts, they meet weekly.
He starts swim team next week, they swim every day for an hour until the end of june (sundays off, saturdays are most of the day starting mid may). This is a huge time commitment, but he loves it, it is so good for him, he drops a lot of size and really tones up, plus he has arthritis so it really helps keep up muscle tone. He would love year round competetion, but I can only manage the summer league!
Oh and he is in the chess club, one hour a week after school

My 1st grader...
He takes a drama class, it is two hours after school, once a week. (my inlaws gave him this for his bday)
He plays soccer one practice one hour once a week, games on sat.
He is a scout too, he meets about twice a month.

We stay pretty busy, but mainly because I don't like to stack activites. I try to do one a day,more running for me, but just makes more sense for my life. However, mondays didn't work out that well, we stack it like crazy, and seems like every extra meeting we have, they throw it on a monday, so today I actually have 5 different events between 3-8. Obviously my hubby helps out a lot. We are both scout leaders, I found it helps par down the meeting times if we are in charge, like my girls only meet once in dec when life is crazy and it is a party at that. But it does make for extra things on our schedules, leader meetings, etc.

By Melanie on Monday, April 18, 2005 - 06:24 pm:

Currently ds #1 is just in baseball. In the fall he plays football and a couple times per year he is in chess club after school. Ds #2 is in baseball, roller hockey and art class. He will be doing football this fall, but will probably drop hockey during that time because football is such a demanding sport. DD is in gymnastics and soccer ("mini soccersaurus", a two hour no-pressure class for 4 and 5 year olds).

By Pamt on Monday, April 18, 2005 - 08:57 pm:

DS 1: Boy Scouts once a week (in band at school and getting unofficial guitar lessons from DH)
DS 2: Cub Scouts 3x/month

They also are in RAs on Wednesday night, but church is a given at our house and we are all at church, so I don't consider that an "activity." Our boys are allowed scouts plus one sport. Right now neither of them are interested in baseball. DS 1 is holding out for basketball and DS for soccer. I *ditto* Trina. Kids are waaaay overscheduled these days and don't get enough time to be kids. In the past they have been in wrestling, baseball, soccer, basektball, choir, and art lessons.

By Melissa on Monday, April 18, 2005 - 09:12 pm:

Lexi does Horseback Lessons 1x per week, Horse club 1x per week. Rock climbing 1x per week Karate 2 x per week. In the winter she does ski lessons so no Horseback then b/c it's too cold. I feel it is a lot but she is the kind of kid who wants to do it all!!! Being she's our only one it is easier to take her and to afford it. She is actually quite annoyed now b/c she wants to do gymnastics but we told her she had to pick something else to get done and she didn't want to. She is done swim lessons I'd like her to do more but she is a good enough swimmer to pass any swim test so I guess that is fine. I don't know how people with more than one kid could do it, if we had more kids I would limit the sports to one or two at a time.

By Dawnk777 on Monday, April 18, 2005 - 10:51 pm:

15yo
Just finishing up confirmation activities
Girl Scouts (meeting once a month)
Band (football games, basketball games, Florida trip this week)

13yo
Confirmation classes
Confirmation service projects
Usually some horse-riding lessons, although, this summer going to horse camp
Band - so practicing at home

By Missbookworm on Monday, April 18, 2005 - 11:21 pm:

we have none going at the moment. Both have done karate and didn't end up liking it. I'm a single mom now and have been for a couple years, and the time (between 3 kids especially without a car) and the funds just aren't there at the moment. I'm imagining things will come up for my oldest who starts highschool this fall. As for the other two so far they don't really seem to want to do any "extra" curricular activities except play with friends and I'm ok with that I figure our life is hectic enough keeping up with school and life so we just take alot of down time and do lots as a family