What Activities do your children do??? [Archive]

gnunn

Feb 4th, 2008, 11:50 AM

My seven year old is playing basketball at the moment and loves it. He starts playing football in May and is really looking forward to that as well. Otherwise he has done the gamut of activities including swimming, skating, karate and soccer. He liked soccer but the soccer association in Newmarket is a mess in terms of organization, the basketball league he is in has been a vast improvement and he absolutely loves it. He never really got into skating and has no interest in playing hockey though he enjoys watching it.

We have the same rule for him that my parents had for me, he has to play a sport year round (typically one in the summer and one in the winter) but he can pick the sport. The only exception was swimming since my wife and I strongly believe everyone should learn to swim. In general we try to guide him towards team sports since the socialization lessons in team sports are important, but if he really wants to try a solo sport he is more then welcome to give it a go.

glaswegian

Feb 4th, 2008, 12:57 PM

Swimming ( competitive )
Guides
Fencing
Athletics
Crafts
Book clubs
Gardening/nature

3weddings

Feb 4th, 2008, 01:01 PM

We are busy as well. My dd's are 6.5, 9 and 11

Swimming (Red Cross and Competitive)
Basketball
Volleyball
Art Classes
Piano/Guitar and Drums (eek)
Skating
Skiing and Snowboarding

We recently left TaeKwonDo as their schedules were too full

They also train the puppy with us, as he's going through Schutzenhund and we feel it's important to include them in knowing the dog.

volan

Feb 4th, 2008, 07:24 PM

My 4.5 year old does Gymnastics and swimming.

My 8 month old does babbling and spitting up.

3weddings

Feb 4th, 2008, 07:31 PM

My 8 month old does babbling and spitting up.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a112/3weddings/Blinkies/lmao.gif

Bullseye

Feb 5th, 2008, 10:09 AM

Wow, some of your kids have busier schedules than most adults I know! :lol:

Is there such a thing as too much organized activities? Maybe it's because my kids are still young, but I figured our main activities will be playing in the park, or letting them play in the street with all the other kids.

CSK'sMom

Feb 5th, 2008, 10:22 AM

Yes there is Bullseye. Lots of todays kids are over-scheduled IMO. There was actually a Super Nanny episode on this subject a couple of weeks ago. Kids literally sceduled in a different activity every single day, doing homework and eating in the vehicle between activities, not getting to bed till obscene hours, etc. It's something that we have always tried to stay far away from with our kids. Not to say they didn't play sports. We just opted to have them do thing that tended to spring and summer like baseball, soccer, etc.

Gnun, the football comment. Our boys still play football at 16 and 18. Even at your boys ages it can be a big time commitment so be warned. Typically 3 practices and 1 game a week.

3weddings

Feb 5th, 2008, 10:30 AM

We do not force them into any of it. As far as I am concerned (and it was both our parents' ideal too) is that the busier the kids are, the less problems they encounter socially.

My children do not encounter late nights, they are not over exerted and their grades most certainly are not imposed on in any way by any of their activities. Are they fit, they most certainly are. Both dh and I played sports from a young age, and those sports paid for college/university for us, so we appreciate their desire to participate in as many sports as possible.

A mentor once told me an idle mind is a dangerous mind, and it's always stuck in my head.

They have chosen swimming as their main sport and love it. At this time we are in the water three days a week ranging from 30 minutes to 1 hour at a time. It is hardly overkill.

I would be more worried about the parents who have their kids at the arena on Saturday mornings for 6am ice time, that IMO is overkill, esp. when their eight year old is in tears when the parent is trying to get them there.

sdm242

Feb 5th, 2008, 10:42 AM

My girls (ages 5 and 7) are both taking a non-competitve dance class right now for the spring. In the summer, the oldest will play soccer (the youngest has decided she doesn't want to play this year).

We definitely believe it's important to not over-scheduled. With only one scheduled activity at a time, our kids still have lots of time to play with their friends, read a book, play with each other, do crafts, use their imaginations, go to the library, go to the park, etc.

A mentor once told me an idle mind is a dangerous mind, and it's always stuck in my head.
I just wanted to comment on this. I completely diasagree with this quote. An idle mind gives a child to time to think, to be creative, to use his/her imagination, which is something that many kids don't seem know how to do these days, IMHO.

3weddings

Feb 5th, 2008, 10:51 AM

I just wanted to comment on this. I completely diasagree with this quote. An idle mind gives a child to time to think, to be creative, to use his/her imagination, which is something that many kids don't seem know how to do these days, IMHO.

I can see your side of the equation on this, however it is obvious that when the parent is involved in the child's life they flourish. It is the children who are dropped off at their activities that seem to be missing out. The children who's parents/guardians are too busy to be creative with them that don't know how.

I had a mentor from Grade 9 on, as I knew where I wanted to be in life. I don't think there are enough mentors out there now, it is a sad display of how selfish our lives have become. When you become involved with children's activities, you give of yourself and include yourself in your child's life.

I am the proud parent of three young ladies who are well rounded, Level 4 students....why because I let them express themselves.

There was a thread here recently about the time many children from an Asian background spend in educational programs. Again, my POV is that the focus is on education, but they end up lacking social skills, have limited athletic ability and are introverted. I don't ever want that for my kids. There is a happy medium!:cheesygri

gnunn

Feb 5th, 2008, 12:39 PM

Gnun, the football comment. Our boys still play football at 16 and 18. Even at your boys ages it can be a big time commitment so be warned. Typically 3 practices and 1 game a week.

Thanks for the tip, I'll keep it in mind fortunately my wife is a stay at home Mom so we can make the time for this sort of thing as needed. He's really keen on doing it because his best friend from school is doing football and his friend's dad is one of the coaches.

As to the over scheduling, all the activities I listed were done sequentially, one after the other. We usually only have one activity on the go at time, the one exception was when he was doing swimming once a week and karate twice a week and that was getting to be too much.

VIKKO

Feb 5th, 2008, 01:05 PM

i dont have kids
but growing up i took piano and drawing lessons amongst other things
its proven that art espicially piano trains the brain; helps it develop

nalababe

Feb 6th, 2008, 06:12 PM

Our son is four and we make a point of signing him up for only one activity per season--two during the summer. Swimming is his main activity. We tried soccer in the summer and tried sport ball once...

We do sign him up for one off activities at the Zoo or the Science Centre.

A lot of the other time we spend time reading (he is starting to read on his own and has for the past year loved to sit down and look through book after book).

We cook together, he made his firt perogies at 3, made an omlette (not the cooking part, but breaking eggs and beating) at 3 1/2....we make pizza together...

We are looking at music lessons (Mummy already sings with him and plays instruments with him)...

...but in the end we want him to play, imagine, get dirty....not be forced to do things he does not want or that he does not find enjoyable...

Steeve Urkel

Feb 6th, 2008, 09:26 PM

i dont have kids
but growing up i took piano and drawing lessons amongst other things
its proven that art espicially piano trains the brain; helps it develop

Lol,
I don't have kids either but when I was younger my parents would not let me and my sister do any activities....so it really sucked as we would see out friends do all these fun things and there was a soccer league right across the street from me....yet my parents did not want to sign me or my sister up.

Eventually after a few years I did convince once my parents were divirced my dad let me and my sister do trampoline and i ended up competing in that and it took a lot of my time after school..would train 4x a week for 2 hours, plus then in high school also had co op and having to get my own groceries as my dad was too sick/old to do that....so i was quite busy.

I did take swimming lessons though as well and am 1 level below being a lifeguard :)...just never went for the last level as I had hurt my ankle :(

Also wanted to add if your kids like the individual sports, there are always clubs for those too :)

Right now I like rollerblading/inline skating and there is a club in my city.
The yearly fee for adult membership is $50 and it includes all the coaching with some internationally know coaches.....it is only cheap because it is run as a non-profit and the lessons are outdoors on closed roads...the club has permission to use some roads where government buildings are...

The club I'm is was mainly adults when it started, but many younger like 10-15 year olds were interested, so now they let younger people join as long as the parents sign the forms.

I also know there are even outdoor and hiking clubs if your kids just like doing outdoor stuff.

Bullseye

Feb 7th, 2008, 07:58 AM

I have to ask...why would anyone without kids be looking in the Parenting forum?

3weddings

Feb 7th, 2008, 08:03 AM

I have to ask...why would anyone without kids be looking in the Parenting forum?

I've seen worse...lol...

at a very popular parenting forum a single, late thirties man entertains all the women....heck he's even dated, gotten accused of impregnating some of them! lmao

Best part is....he lives in the US and travels all the way north of the 49th parallel to hook up. It's always baffled me!!! :|

Bullseye

Feb 7th, 2008, 08:17 AM

I've seen worse...lol...

at a very popular parenting forum a single, late thirties man entertains all the women....heck he's even dated, gotten accused of impregnating some of them! lmao

Best part is....he lives in the US and travels all the way north of the 49th parallel to hook up. It's always baffled me!!! :|

Hmm, that actually sounds very familiar to me...Do you know his first name, or handle? I know an American guy who always comes up to Canada to meet up with single moms and other women he works his magic on.

Grassgreen

Feb 7th, 2008, 08:27 AM

+1 on the "some kids are too busy" theme

We have 3 daughters, and are careful as to how many "organized" activities they are in at one time. However, we are also very fortunate as we live in a neighborhood with LOTS of other kids, and the majority of their time is spent outside with their friends, just playing. Kind of like when we were kids!

jandumm

Feb 7th, 2008, 03:40 PM

I have to ask...why would anyone without kids be looking in the Parenting forum?

i'm guilty of this :)...but i think i have a valid excuse :)

29, married, no kids but seriously beginning to thinking about getting preggers within the next couple of years :) and we're already kind of nervous about the parenting stuff :)...i find the advice in this section really really interesting (especially 3weddings & CSKs mom)

3weddings

Feb 7th, 2008, 03:56 PM

i'm guilty of this :)...but i think i have a valid excuse :)

29, married, no kids but seriously beginning to thinking about getting preggers within the next couple of years :) and we're already kind of nervous about the parenting stuff :)...i find the advice in this section really really interesting (especially 3weddings & CSKs mom)

Why, thank you :o

There is nothing to be nervous about, you will encounter many people who will give you advice, but when you become a parent, you will know what works for you.

I love the parenting forum here at RFD as it's very mature. I have been a part of many online parenting forums and that doesn't always happen. I think the main difference here is that the site is not geared to one sex, whereas most parenting sites are frequented mostly by women.

glaswegian

Feb 7th, 2008, 06:51 PM

I have to ask...why would anyone without kids be looking in the Parenting forum?

Beats me...very disturbing ain't it?

Bullseye...regarding the activities, don't forget these are not all done at the same time. Some are summer sports and others are either done during school time or in the winter.

CSK'sMom

Feb 7th, 2008, 09:39 PM

i'm guilty of this :)...but i think i have a valid excuse :)

29, married, no kids but seriously beginning to thinking about getting preggers within the next couple of years :) and we're already kind of nervous about the parenting stuff :)...i find the advice in this section really really interesting (especially 3weddings & CSKs mom)

Do yourself a favour and don't get too freaked out about becoming a parent. As Steph said, you'll just know what works for you and your values and beliefs. ;) :cheesygri And when you do decide to get preggers whatever you do, don't listen to everyone's birth horror stories! For some strange reason everyone seems to take great pleasure in telling an expectant Mom how they were in labour for days, wanted to die, etc. Just ignore them...

Bullseye

Feb 8th, 2008, 07:38 AM

Beats me...very disturbing ain't it?

No, not disturbing, just curious. The people doing so are apparently just really keen and organized. I don't recall thinking too much about parenting until my wife was actually pregnant, but I'm just lazy that way.

volan

Feb 8th, 2008, 05:34 PM

There is nothing to be nervous about, you will encounter many people who will give you advice, but when you become a parent, you will know what works for you. I'm a parent and it freaks me out. I never know if I'm doing the right thing.

Spidey

Feb 8th, 2008, 05:47 PM

We keep our kids pretty relaxed so they dont feel so rushed all the time.

Oldest son who turns 11 Feb 13 is in Cubs

Our daughter who is 8 is in brownies

Our youngest who turned 6 Feb 7 was supposed to be in beavers, but there wasnt enough interest.

My daughter used to be in highland dance and she used to take soccer as did my youngest son.

Keeping them in just one thing is easier on them and us. Not so much rush rush rush.

Summer time they are in nothing. We do a lot of camping, fishing, etc. and of course summer holiday trip.s

gordholio

Feb 11th, 2008, 02:52 AM

I have 2 boys 6 & 8, and I am trying to figure out what activities I should put them into.
We have done soccer & swimming.
I'm just curious what other parents do with their children and what they recommend.
Thank you & God Bless

What about hockey? It's a great sport, but it does cost quite a bit for the equipment.

gordholio

Feb 11th, 2008, 02:54 AM

nalababe

Feb 11th, 2008, 08:43 PM

What about hockey? It's a great sport, but it does cost quite a bit for the equipment.

Wouldn't want my son to play...too much time, too much money, ungodly hours....Now if he really wants to, we'll see....

I'd much rather him play Soccer in the summer.

glaswegian

Feb 12th, 2008, 06:28 AM

Wouldn't want my son to play...too much time, too much money, ungodly hours....Now if he really wants to, we'll see....

I'd much rather him play Soccer in the summer.

Am with you on that one, and the wife agrees. Football ( soccer ) is what am going to drill into my kids. I played right up university level, damn good at it too.

They are also fans of my football club, Arsenal Football club in London, currently top of the league right now :D It's a passion me and my brothers and sisters share with our parents, who are season ticket holders.

All you need to play this game is a round ball, boots and you are good to go. Just look at where it got Beckham.....$250 million dollars baby:!: Not even Gretzky earned that in his hay days

Spidey

Feb 12th, 2008, 10:56 AM

Wouldn't want my son to play...too much time, too much money, ungodly hours....Now if he really wants to, we'll see....

I'd much rather him play Soccer in the summer.

I agree with that. Now if my son showed a real interest in the sport, then sure he would be in it. But Im not a hockey fan, we dont watch it on tv or anything like that. I have friends whose kids are in hockey, they are at the rink 5:00 am on Saturdays, always away. Basically their whole winter is gone, we rarely see them.

Thats a choice they made and if their happy thats good. But I think kids need to be kids as well

patrob

Feb 12th, 2008, 12:11 PM

Am with you on that one, and the wife agrees. Football ( soccer ) is what am going to drill into my kids. I played right up university level, damn good at it too.

All you need to play this game is a round ball, boots and you are good to go. Just look at where it got Beckham.....$250 million dollars baby:!: Not even Gretzky earned that in his hay days

I agree, I prefer soccer too:D My 6 year old is just finishing his 1st indoor season this Saturday & he really likes it. So we will be signing him up for the spring/summer season too...& all the other seasons :) Plus I have to find out when I can sign up my 3 1/2 year old son, I think he needs to be 4 yrs. old at least, not sure if my daughter will like soccer:lol: