Extracurricular activities for kids

Is it necessary to involve your kids into extracurricular activities (dance, singing, karate, tak won do, etc) after 8 hrs of hectic school day? It sems there is lot of push from parents whether kids want to do it or not. There is no choice for kids, just do it. It has been noticed that on several activities, parents enjoy more in gossiping amongst themselves without paying attention to kids activities

U say parents force us to go 4 Extra curricular activities????? mayb some!!!not all!!!!! 😳 😳
for me just to go 4 Extra curricular activities i had 2 beg my parents a lott 😆 😆
u see i hv skool frm morning 8:30 to evening 4!!!!!
thn till 5:30 i hv Volleyball n Throwball practices!!!!!!!!apart frm my regular athletics 1 😆 😆
n thn on Saturdayzz n othr hols i hv Entrance coaching classes 😆
thn wen do u think i hv time to studee????? 😆 😆
n yaaa i 4got at regular times my debate n extempore comp!!!
still m sumhoww managing!!!!! 😆

😆 😆 😆 I think we should leave it up to the kids to decide what they want to pursue and how seriously they want to take it. You are right about hectic schedule the kids have now a days. But if they want to learn something different or pursue a hobby, then one should go for it.

Piling up extracurricular activities on kids just to catch up on the rat race with other parents is totally unacceptable. Each and every kid is unique. Motivate them, find time for them, and then go for something they want to do.....just my 2 cents here 😊

Kids are never going to know what it is like to swim, paint, play sports, learn music etc etc without being exposed to these activities by the parents.

IMO, while the children are young and the schedule is not too hectic, the kids should be exposed to different activities one after the other, so that they know which one they like and which one they want to pursue further. Just putting a child in school is not enough. In western countries, school includes extra-curricular activities whereas, it is not the same case in India. In India, schools mean studies and that's it. I think EC activities help kids in the long run and make them well-rounded for future.

When I was little, I was involved in drawing classes, dancing, music lessons, swimming, skating and also a bit of karate 😆. When I grew up, I realized sports was so not my thing and I gave up. I continued with painting till I was in 10th grade because I truly had a passion for it. I took part in every debate, recitation, creative writing, singing, dancing competition that there was in school as well. I am sure no kids want to be in so many things when they are young but it is up to the parents to give the initial push. If they don't like it, of course, forcing them is not good.

I am really glad that my parents motivated me to be in all these different things and made me the person that I am. If I had buried myself in books all these years, I don't know mera kya hota 🤓

Extracurricular activities are typically not promoted or available in India. Minnee I applaud your excitement, enthusiasm and dedication. It takes a lot of time and work.

I grew up in an environment that wasn't conducive to dedicated training in a particular field, be it dancing, singing an instrument etc. I've regreted not having had classical dance training.

As Rutu wrote, exposing children to a variety of activities allows you to see where there interest lies. It also enriches them and exposes their natural talents.

Granted a long school day can be tiring, but limiting yourself to academic pursuits can be boring. There's no need to go over board. 1 or 2 activities that the child is truly interested in and shows an aptitude for are more than enough. Extracurricular activities provide an outlet for energy, creativity and adventure.

Cruel as it may sound, I will be forcing my girl(s) to take up classical dancing. In part it is to fulfill my abandoned desire to learn. But a greater part of me appreciates the grace, balance, and poise classical dancing (kathak or bharatnatyam) instills in a person. I also think it will be an individual thing my girl(s) can feel proud of having learned and done well in (practice makes perfect). And unless my girl(s) demonstrate excellence beyond expectations, I will not be pushing them to do anything beyond the lessons and some cultural program or the other.

My father finally pushed me into martial arts when we were settled in the US. I hated it at first, being the tallest in the kiddy class, having to do such a physical and demanding art. But I can't express how much I appreciate it now. It's instilled a sense of confidence and self-assurance I lacked before. I am also confident in my ability to defend myself against any attacks or unwanted advances.

Extracurricular activities, be it sports, cultural, arts, or even a unique subject, instill a sense of pride and confidence that isn't achieved through just the daily grind of school work. It also provides the child (if it isn't an individual activity) a social outlet. Yes, the parents chit chat, but so do the kids. They are exposed to a different set of peers who may have different thoughts and ideas. Such interaction is often a positive experience. And if you're a sensible and motivated parent, you will be involved and excited about your child's activity: encouraging and supporting at events, etc. It's definitely important to recognize the efforts a child puts in and the improvements they make.

I don't think a parent should shy away from pushing a little. Don't impose your wishes and demands at an unreasonable level. But until the parent pushes to try new things and keep at it, some children may not realize their interests and potentials. I gave up dance on my first day. Had my mom pushed, I would have appreciated it now as much as I do the martial arts training. And if your family is the travelling sort, take up an interest that doesn't require specialized training... children should be encouraged to read, write, venture into artistic options (pottery, painting, sketching, etc), take up a sport or instrument. (I think singing and dancing should be learned under one guru...they are very specialized art forms in my view)

😕 I've been giving all of this too much thought... my poor future kids 😳 😆

My kids love to go to these activities and I had to cut them as their they are approaching to higher classes and they did not like it. After school these activites refreah you as they change the course of your mind set. 😆

Originally posted by: JhoomBJhoom

Is it necessary to involve your kids into extracurricular activities (dance, singing, karate, tak won do, etc) after 8 hrs of hectic school day? It sems there is lot of push from parents whether kids want to do it or not. There is no choice for kids, just do it. It has been noticed that on several activities, parents enjoy more in gossiping amongst themselves without paying attention to kids activities

not really but roof-top bungy jumping through the summer is a good idea... that leaves the parents some time to do other things....😆

great views all!!! Loved reading y'alls posts 😊

I push a little when they try to shirk away from going for classes that they picked in the first place 😆

During school semesters, we have at least one activity going on. During summer breaks, as amny as about 3 per child. They love it this way and it helps me from going crazy too.

I am kind of wondering that people did not show interest in this topic. In US, there is so much bolbala about extracurricular activities and parents brag about their Kids activities all the time. I have seen so many folks paln their weekends that what are they going to do with regard to their kids activities. I have noticed that some kids cry or do not shoe interest at the time of activities and parents kep on pushing. In some cases parents are enthusiastic but kids are looking forward.