So today my girlfriend from work and I were going to register our toddlers for gymnastics. Something that has been on the radar for a while, something I thought Alex would enjoy. Yeah, $95.00 to register my child who is not even 2 yet. So poor Alex did not get registered because Erin and I decided that he and Addie can wait until the spring so our Christmas budgets can bounce back.
So this is a question that I often struggle with: When is it age appropriate to get your children involved in activities? Anthony so far has been in swimming, t-ball (which was painful to watch because he had no interest), soccer (loved it), and is now in basketball. In January he begins skating lessons, not hockey because I was too cheap (almost $300 to enroll, granted $240 is pre-paid raffle tickets but still was not ready to do it) not knowing if he was going to like it or not. I figure if we can master his skating skills and he really wants to try it next year I will agree to it.
When I was younger my mom enrolled us in swimming and skating so we could learn the basics, I loved both. I also played basketball and loved it but was not really interested in any of them until about third grade. But now it seems there is alot more pressure to get them started young so they develop into the activity at a faster pace. Let's face it nobody wants their child to be the one that feels inadequate or is a constant benchwarmer.
There is also the argument that children that are busy are more apt to not find themselves in trouble. You are showing them what responsibility and determination brings you. That you are rewarded for your efforts with scholarships, etc. But I have also been witness to people that played a sport their entire high school and college career that then digress because they felt like they never had the time to spread their wings or relax with friends and choose to do it later in life when most of us are starting our careers or families.
So please share your thoughts and opinions. Tell me what age you think children should get involved in organized activites and when you feel okay with spending the $95.00 (seriously ridiculous) to get them started. Personally I am a fan, but man it really can take a bite out of the pocket book...
10 comments:
Great question, Melissa. In my opinion, I think it's more a question of "how many activities" than "when to begin." Hope will be two in two weeks and she's never been in anything, but Grant, the firstborn, was in gymnastics around her age. He loved it. I try to limit commitments to one at a time, and then give the kids a choice about what it is. I'm also a big proponent of dabbling in different things before committing to any one activity. I don't subscribe to the opinion that keeping kids busy in many activities keeps them out of trouble. I firmly believe that children need a lot of unstructured time for imaginative and creative play. Being in too many activities wears everyone out and sets a "rush to this-rush to that" pace in the family that's hard to escape once you're in the throes of it.
I agree with Erin, Lucy's in gymnastics but that's it and when and if I decide to try something else, I will just do that. She is only 2 after all. As far as the $ aspect, I have always given that as a gift idea for Lucy's Birthday and christmas. If it's something they will truly enjoy, it's better than ANOTHER toy!
I definitely agree on one activity at a time. It gives them the opportuinty to actually dedicate their attention to it w/o any distractions. The activities that Anthony has been in so far have about a month commitment which I can handle. Kris, great idea on asking for it as a gift. I wish I would have thought of that for Alex and Christmas, now I may see about that for his birthday in January.
Well I have sort of the opposite problem. What do you do with a child who really wants to do it all, and is pretty decent at it? Ryan didn't start hockey until 4 (the youngest age), but he was ready. He was very gun shy to be separated from daddy/mommy, so Thad began coaching. It was the same with baseball. For that he was five...then came soccer..then came football...then golf...then summer hockey.
Most things don't overlap at all. The problem is when they get older, it becomes a few nights a week.
Ryan started gymnastics at 18 months. There was no major purpose behind it other than I was a first time mom and wanted to do it. In hindsight, if I was going to do anything I wish I would have done Kindermusik.
Kate also did gymnastics (with Grant). She liked it. She started dance at 3....not ready, but I was a mother of a little girl. Need I say more? She is in skating and dance now. She wants to try basketball in January so we are doing that too.
Enter Olivia into the equation. She is in dance b/c she wanted to be. She is also in skating...they both skate Saturday mornings. Olivia wanted to play hockey, but squirts was a bit much this year so I said no. Maybe next year, but I am discouraging it more than anything.
The funny thing is that my kids STILL play all the time, have fun, do their homework, and prefer to stay busy. A bored Ryan is a horrible Ryan. I have never once heard him complain.
Is it to much for us? Sometimes it is...but like Erin said, this boils down to "how many" vs "when to begin." If you choose to try something at a young age and they don't like it, you then have to deal with "quitting" as an issue. That's a whole other mess.
I have no point to this Melissa....sorry!
Well.. I guess I dont know! I dont ahve my kids enrolled in anything... mostly cause I just havent looked into it! But I guess maybe 4 or 5 is a good age?
Be blessed!
Amanda
Dude, $160 for Cecelia's dance costumes!! I thought Bill's head was going to pop off - thank God Delaney decided to quit.
Next year I'm thinking ski lessons. Are those cheap? I just feel like it's good to have atleast one thing for them to do during the winter months.
$160 AJ!?!?!? Oh my goodness.
Melissa $95 for gymnastics? I have never paid that much in town. I have done both American Gold (many times) and TNT (once). What place was that?
$160 AJ!?!?!? Oh my goodness.
Melissa $95 for gymnastics? I have never paid that much in town. I have done both American Gold (many times) and TNT (once). What place was that?
American Gold-the "member fee" and the cost of the class. $160 for a costume is ridiculous!!! Oh my goodness...Is she covered in sequins and crystals? Is she going to the prom after?
We enrolled Hailey in dance when she was 3 & instead of paying the outrageous dance studio fees - we did a 6 week class at a local community center - it was perfect for us because she got to get out, meet people & test the waters, for a tiny fraction ($36.00) of what the studios charge - She didn't care for it much - so I'm super glad we didn't invest much.
We put both kids in swimming lessons this fall at ages $ & almost 3 - (8 sessions - again, at a local school for a fraction of the price. Swimming isn't optional for us - it's a must - Hailey didn't like it, Derek loved it. We're taking some time off but will return again in the spring and keep going back until they've got the skills they need -
My theory is we've got plenty of time - We'll dip our toes in 1 thing at a time to expose them to a wide variety of things and when we find something that they really love - we'll stick with it -
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