By Sarah E. Visbeek, author of In the Trenches of Mommyhood
In my Trenches, we have a strict family rule that we have managed to stick to (thus far!) regarding extracurricular activities and that is: One Activity Per Child Per Season. ONE. And only one.
This just seems to work for my family. And here’s why: We have three boys, ages 10, 7 and 6. (Thus, my husband and I are outnumbered.) We both work full-time outside the home. We value both family time and weekends. Not that people whose children are overly scheduled (or should I say, overscheduled?) don’t value those same things, don’t get me wrong, it’s just that my husband and I have mutually agreed to consciously make an effort to create “down time” for our children.
But even with the boys just playing one sport: football in the fall, basketball in the winter, and baseball in the spring, our life is far from sedate and peaceful, as you can imagine. Pop Warner football takes up a huDge chunk of our time, and it has become, literally, a family affair, as my husband coaches, and I am the Treasurer. Practice runs 2 nights a week, plus Saturday mornings, and then the games are on Sunday. I cannot even imagine having to also schlep one (or more) of the boys to karate, or boy scouts or music lessons as well. No. Just no. And thankfully? None of them have asked. Yet.
This year was especially hard. My husband started coaching spring baseball in April, but then also ended up coaching All-Stars. The baseball season, to my horror, ended up running straight into football season, and actually even overlapped for a week or two.
Needless to say, I am looking forward to a nice, quiet winter. Yes, the boys play basketball, but (1) it is indoors so no suffering through New England weather, (2) my husband doesn’t coach and (3) basketball is only ONE night a week!
What is your rule regarding extracurricular activities for your children?
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Like what you see? Check out other posts by Sarah:
- On Mommy Guilt and Childcare
- Class Birthday Parties
- What is Your Back to School Bedtime Routine?
- Meal Planning Made Easier
- Back to School Preparedness… Or What NOT to Do
- Welcome to our New Weekly Columnist: Sarah of “In the Trenches of Mommyhood”!
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