Extra-curricular activities in Prep

[OceanPrincess]

DD starts school next year.


Moving on...

She wants to start in the choir that mummy used to sing with and she has been told for about two years since we got the Spirit of Christmas cd that had said choir on it, that she can join when she starts school. So now she wants to start choir.

I assumed I'd enrol her. Didn't think much of it. Excited really! But then my sister says how she is ceasing all of my niece's (same age roughly) extra-curricular activities for at least term 1, possibly term 2, and certainly not starting anything new. She says that kids get exhausted when they start school and commencing a new activity outside school is not a good idea.

Thoughts?

My kids are all high energy and already do swimming and mainly music, plus DD does dancing, she won't have music next year as its on during the week, but we plan on keeping up the swimming and probably dancing.

The level she'd start in rehearses Sat mornings, so that's a plus.

I guess it's different for all kids but what have others found, when their kids started prep?

[black_rose]

We did swimming and dancing but ended up dropping the dancing after two terms as dd was exhausted, she chose to keep swimming as she loves it and just dances at home.

I say go for it its something your dd wants to do and is excited about, you can always stop if its too much.

[~Kim~]

Yes I found my preppie (we call them trannies lol) was exhausted. Mine did swimming after school, gymnastics on a Saturday morning and started guides half way through the year. She coped fine. She had done swimming and gymnastics right throughout preschool too so it wasn't a change really for her.
She found the baby sister she acquired at the start of the year more exhausting
However, DD1 was 5.5 when she started school. A couple of my GF with younger (in that year) kids did stop doing extra curricular stuff as they felt their kids weren't coping.

You can only try it and see right?

[nickle730]

I found that my two were exhausted during the first couple of terms of Prep. Just the energy of focussing all day long seemed to wear them out! I would hold off on enrolling your DD in a new activity until the end of Term 1 and then assess how she is going, particularly if she is already doing swimming and dancing. Is there any disadvantage of waiting?

[anney]

We stopped everything the prep year and yes she was tired.

[feeb]

I hadn't even thought of that!! DS1 I planned on keeping in Tennis and Gymnastics as he loves them and I want to start swimming lessons again for him as not done since just before 3.

He is used to a very busy week with CC and kinder 5 days a week as well as Tennis and gymnastics.

[OceanPrincess]

Nickle, no, no disadvantage to starting later!

But I think I might try it and see.

And Kim, trannies, really???

[Miss.September]

How tired was she term 1 this year with the longer kinder hours? Could be a good indicator. If she coped without seeming too tired, then I'd probably give it a shot. But if she was tired, then I'd be inclined to hold off, even until half way through the year.

Funny, DH and I were having the same conversation earlier today. Mini Maestros ends this year but she would still have swimming and piano. I'm anticipating that we'd have to stop them, especially as we're expecting to travel some distance to and from school.

[AnyDream]

Both of my DDs were quite tired during their first year of school, however it might also depend on how much other unstructured "down time" they have. Both of my girls have had to go to after school care, which I think adds to the total load of "stimulation" that they get during the week while also reducing the amount of quiet pottering they can do, and also means that the evening home routine starts later. We didn't start DD1 on any new activities until grade 2. DD2 (currently in prep) does Little Aths, but we'll hold off on other new activities for a while

[Arcadia]

I'm interested in the responses because my kids don't do any extracurricular activities because I wouldn't be able to cope with being busier. How do you all cope as mums, with housework and work and normal kinder duties and then other activities?

I'm starting dd in ballet when she is six, but haven't planned for anything extra next year.

[~Kim~]

And Kim, trannies, really???

Yep. Our first year of school is called Transition.

[Tinks]

Go for it. If it's something you've promised she can start when she's a certain age, you can't really hold her back. I don't think choir on a Saturday morning would tire her out too much.

[Nai]

My DD1 is a Feb baby and she did swimming and gymnastics when starting prep. She was totally fine but she is a pretty active and sleeps really really well at night. DD2 is stating next year too and she will also continue swimming and she wants to start gymnastics so I will see how she goes as she may drop dance. I think enroll her and see how she goes.

[sangie]

DD has been quite tired this year, I really notice it the last 2-3 weeks of each term. She really needs the 2 week school holidays!
We didn't start anything new but kept up her swimming one night after school and ballet on a Saturday morning. I think the Saturday morning works quite well as her class isn't until 10.30am so we don't have to get up too early and rush around.

I think enrol her, particularly as you promised her and just see how she goes!!

[OceanPrincess]

I asked her about it again this morning and she initially said no but then changed her mind

She definitely does get tired at the end of term but she is currently fine with her load. She is extremely active even when at home, but crashes easily into bed around 7.30pm and generally sleeps right til 7am or so.

Arcadia - we are busy, but we manage, probably because I don't do craft That's why I'm sending her to kinder... To do craft

[Astrid]

I think they get tired by the end of term not matter how much they do. Also how tired they get can really depend on what else is going at school. Last term with DD1 in year 2, they were all pretty tired as they had school performance and swimming lessons, so on top of all the usual activities most kids were pretty tired.

I find as a family we need to limit the amount of extra activities, makes us all tired, plus leaves little time for down time, home stuff and general spend time with friends in unstructured play.

So next year with DD2 starting prep, both girls will have just one after school activity, gymnastics, as I doubt I can get them on the one night. I was lucky with swimming this year, I go them the same night, with lessons following.

[AnyDream]

How do you all cope as mums, with housework and work and normal kinder duties and then other activities?

Like all things, if the activity has genuine worth/rewards, you fit it in by scaling back other things. Plus, if you work & you have a partner who works, you will both have to pitch in. My DH takes my DD to sporting things, I take care of the parties & the girl guides. Same thing goes for enrolling your kids in an activity your friends' kids do - you can share pickups & drop offs. But my number one top recommendation if you work is this: get a cleaner. They can whip through more in 2 or 3 hours than you will, and it frees your time up for other things.

[Jennifer13]

DD1 was only doing swimming outside of school when she started kinder. We dropped dancing for the year. We picked up piano in term 2 (but that's at home, the teacher comes to us). She started jazz in the last term of K, also after school one day a week. We then added after-school French in Yr 1. She was tired in K, but I found she was adjusted by about the middle of the year. Is there any harm seeing how she goes and starting in the second term if it seems she's okay? You're still starting when she starts school, just not immediately.

With DD2 arriving in Yr 1, we did get busier. Now DD2 has swimming as well, and given that DD1 (in Yr 2) is doing swimming at school, we've dropped her extra-curricular swimming lesson (she's a good swimmer, but not interested in squads).

Next year, we'll have another DD and DD1 will be doing piano (class at home after school once a week), cubs (down the road, one evening a week), French (after school, once a week) and probably a sport (but before or after school - at school). It sounds like a lot of activities, but they're deliberately scheduled so that they involve no real running around by myself or DP.

The other thing to consider is in K they tend to get a lot of birthday party invitations and for at least a while, a parent is probably expected to stay. That makes for very busy weekends! I found weekend activities were more hassle than weekday ones.