How to best manage your child’s time – and pick the best extracurricular activities
After-school and out-of-school opportunities are great, but can be a lot to juggle – some tips on fitting them in so they don’t become a chore
Any parent who has watched their child perform in a ballet recital or score a goal in football or hockey knows the joy that extracurricular activities can bring to both the child and their family. But finding the right activities, and the right number of them, can be a challenge, especially as many of them require the entire family to invest significant time and effort, on top of the financial cost, to manage and maintain.
“While school programming typically provides comprehensive and holistic learning for students, extracurriculars give children a platform to further enrich their learning,” says Frances Deram, head of business development and operations at ESF Explore, a subsidiary of ESF that runs programmes in languages, sports, arts and STEM at ESF locations. “For example, children can explore a particular interest or activity in more depth, try out something new not already offered, or bond with peers beyond the existing school community.”
Too much or too little?
How can parents ensure a balance of stimulating extracurricular activities on top of school work, and still allow adequate time for rest and play?
“Instead of focusing on a particular number of activities, my suggestion is to follow the motto, ‘depth, not breadth’,” says Deram. “I meet many parents who are quite anxious about enrolling their children in all kinds of activities, either to keep them busy or because they see other parents doing the same thing, but some of the greatest benefits of activities can be derived by having your child select a few and stick to them for at least a year.”
She points out that learning to play a musical instrument or reach a reasonable proficiency in a sport takes a significant amount of time and effort in the beginning and that process itself helps develop valuable character building skills.
