Views on activities

[Fuschia]

Something else to discuss...

How many activities do your children do, and why?

What was your experience of activities as a child?

[cuppa tea]

By activities, do you mean classes? Or do things like soft play count?

At 4 he struggles with following instructions and finds set activities too restrictive, so we tend to do

things that are very free.

I remember doing ballet. It definitely wasn't my idea. I fell over the first session and refused to go back. I have since always been put off dance. Hence why I am hesitant to sign my kids up to anything that isn't totally their idea!

[Fuschia]

Classes I meant, yes...

[cuppa tea]

No we haven't done any of those. I am paranoid about being a pushy mum.

Maybe when the kid is a bit older. Toying with the idea of some kind of martial art, so he can fight in safety and, in theory, help him to control his aggression!

[EDmummy]

In our house, swimming is an absolute must! Then they get to do one other activity of their choice (I say 'choice' but gymnastics was actually chosen for youngest and a musical instrument was kind of thrust upon the other but both with positive results ie., the 'choices' suit their temperament and they both enjoy them). If there is an after-school club that they fancy then we might add that but I would rather keep it to two classes to allow for time for kicking back and for homework. Cost also becomes a factor. There are so many things I would like them to try but we try to be realistic.

[snowboarder]

I'm sure it's different depending on the age of your children. I'm a self confessed 'joiner' so when little sb hit 6m I signed him up for all the baby activities I could - to get us out as much as anything!! Now at 2 he's either grown out of most of them (sing and sign etc) or I just can't manage them with new baby's arrival (eg swimming). And nursery has taken over 2 mornings a week. He still does tumbletots and started little kickers when he turned 2. Might do tennis in the autumn. I'd like to take the baby to sing and sign on a nursery day - it was definitely the best of all the music classes, and would be nice for him to have something that's not just tagging along to older brothers gigs!

I always did loads of sport as a child - but obv that was later and through school. My mum says we had playgroup and that was about it when we were little...

[kristymac1]

My little one is 4 and we do 1-2-1 swimming lessons and have recently started a great gym class. We did start ballet (at the fab Theatre Peckham) last year, but after a few classes it was clear that at that age an hour was too long and she was not enjoying it so we stopped. We'll try anything (she wants to be a skateboarder apparently?) and provided she enjoys it then we continue, time (and money!) is too precious to 'encourage' her to continue with things she's just not happy/fussed about.

At the moment, I think 2 structured activities a week is plenty, leaving plenty of time for random bike rides, park visits and bl*$dy gambados - perhaps after school starts she may want to do more......

[Bumpkin]

My mum pushed me into doing 'extras' pretty every night of the week when I was younger - piano, clarinet, brownies, gym, ballet, band etc. Quite frankly I'd have been far happier milling around with my friends and rather resent all the time spent doing organised things rather than nuturing precious friendships. Each to their own, I'm sure others deprived of these things wish their parents had invested more time in them, you'll never get it right!

[Fuschia]

We are pretty minimalist

I don't really enjoy having to dash about snd if we muss things I have prepaid I feel it's wasteful

Child no 1 does swimming lessons and Kung Fu

One twin does ballet

That's it

I think 2 per child in the end will be (more than!) sufficient

I knew children in ds1's class who would do French followed by ballet sfter school or swimming and drama on a Saturday

[Saffron]

I think a couple activities a week is good. It deps on the child and on what else you do as a family too. I always wished I had more parent-child classes when I was young, like mother-daughter yoga or father-daughter art classes. My mother was out Brownie leader and my father took us fishing in the summers, but it's not the same as 1-on-1 time in a class.

[Fuschia]

We always do things together at weekends - swum, park, softplay ,days out

As a child I did dancing, horseriding, lifesaving/swim club/brownies

[cuppa tea]

Fuschia - What age would you say Kung Fu is good? Is 4 too young?

[Fuschia]

My one started at 4

He was a bit of s class refusenik nut had a lovely teacher snd it has been very good for him

I have been thinking of starting them all on tae kwendo next year when twins are 4 - there is a reasonably priced drop in Saturday class - search Daniel tae kwendo here on the forum

Is that the right name for it? Just tealised my brain isn't on