Too much?
I have been having this internal debate lately regarding activities for the kids. I have been asking other parents and generally mulling the topic. So here it is for my blog: It seems I am sadly behind in getting my kids involved. And poor La Nina, if I listen to the activity list for most of her peers, it is a wonder she is developing at all!
One friend, exactly her age, does the following activities weekly: Language class, soccer, pre-school 3 days a week, Sunday school, gymnastics and dance. Another friend of hers does this list weekly (he is also exactly her age): Language class, soccer, preschool 5 days a week, beginning hockey and swimming. Here is La Nina's list: gymnastics, preschool 2 days a week, Sunday school starting in October, FCC playgroup when we can make it.
My question is at 3.5 years old, how much is too much? La Nina still needs 2 hours of sleep every afternoon, more on school days or if we swim in the morning. If you factor in naps and a day a week with Nana and Papa, she has very little free time now.
At this point, I am the only parent in Pleasanton who thinks 3 is too young for team sports of any kind. Sharing is still a new concept. Can you imagine how often a ball or puck is passed among 3 year olds? When I bring this up, the other parents just laugh at me and say I am missing the point. Well, I played soccer for 20 years, so I am familiar with the sport. If at 6 kids play bunch ball, are they calling random running soccer at 3? I can do that in my yard and not have to get anyone to practice on time.
I want my kids to have time for free form fun. You know the kind, where we go in the backyard and just play. But for my kids, especially La Nina, if I keep enrolling her in class, she won't have any time for just playing. You know, like kick back with Mom in the back yard. Or catch with dad. Or what about just climbing on the play structure with her sister? At 3.5 it seems to me that these things are important.
Funny, but I worry about this less with the Magster. By nature she is much more energetic and frankly, she and I won't be playing kick back, we will be running laps. And keeping the Magster busy will be key to maintaining my sanity, but with La Nina, I am just not sure how much she can handle.
Let's face it, most kids are just recreational sports kids, so isn't all this pressure so young going to lead to burn out by age 8? I don't know, but I would like my kids to be very involved in something of their chosing well into their teens and if I ruin it for them by burning them out too young, the risks of boredom in the future seem too great.
So that is my debate: How much is too much? Will my daughter fall behind because I have been unwilling to sign her up? I just don't know.
One friend, exactly her age, does the following activities weekly: Language class, soccer, pre-school 3 days a week, Sunday school, gymnastics and dance. Another friend of hers does this list weekly (he is also exactly her age): Language class, soccer, preschool 5 days a week, beginning hockey and swimming. Here is La Nina's list: gymnastics, preschool 2 days a week, Sunday school starting in October, FCC playgroup when we can make it.
My question is at 3.5 years old, how much is too much? La Nina still needs 2 hours of sleep every afternoon, more on school days or if we swim in the morning. If you factor in naps and a day a week with Nana and Papa, she has very little free time now.
At this point, I am the only parent in Pleasanton who thinks 3 is too young for team sports of any kind. Sharing is still a new concept. Can you imagine how often a ball or puck is passed among 3 year olds? When I bring this up, the other parents just laugh at me and say I am missing the point. Well, I played soccer for 20 years, so I am familiar with the sport. If at 6 kids play bunch ball, are they calling random running soccer at 3? I can do that in my yard and not have to get anyone to practice on time.
I want my kids to have time for free form fun. You know the kind, where we go in the backyard and just play. But for my kids, especially La Nina, if I keep enrolling her in class, she won't have any time for just playing. You know, like kick back with Mom in the back yard. Or catch with dad. Or what about just climbing on the play structure with her sister? At 3.5 it seems to me that these things are important.
Funny, but I worry about this less with the Magster. By nature she is much more energetic and frankly, she and I won't be playing kick back, we will be running laps. And keeping the Magster busy will be key to maintaining my sanity, but with La Nina, I am just not sure how much she can handle.
Let's face it, most kids are just recreational sports kids, so isn't all this pressure so young going to lead to burn out by age 8? I don't know, but I would like my kids to be very involved in something of their chosing well into their teens and if I ruin it for them by burning them out too young, the risks of boredom in the future seem too great.
So that is my debate: How much is too much? Will my daughter fall behind because I have been unwilling to sign her up? I just don't know.
posted by One Lucky Mom @ 2:04 PM
1 Comments:
At 10:09 AM ,
Unknown said...
Julie your questions & concerns are totally valid! I have great memories of being 3 or so and spending whole days in my back yard just swinging or spinning around with my arms out until I fell over giggling. The only activities I had at 3 were dance and theatre. There is nothing funnier than a bunch of 3 year olds doing "ballet" but I was so uncoordinated, and it really helped...and I didn't burn out- I did it for 11 years. Theare was nothing more than being dressed in costumes and reciting nursury rhymes, but it gave us exposeure to public speaking at a really early age...and I'm still doing theatre at 33!
And oh, by the way: we use your experiences with Maggie as a blueprint for what to expect with our daughter Tenley. Oddly, even at 11 months I'm not worried about Tenley either- I think we'll be running laps right behind you!!
Don't worry about Carly- she'll let you know when she's ready to dive into something more!
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