Your children know their classes and have their supplies. They might even have uniforms. How much thought have you put into out-of-school activities?
As soon as school starts, your kids will be bombarded with choices of possible after school activities. It might be organized groups like Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts or 4-H. It might be clubs that teachers support. It might be sports your kids like.
The Possibilities
Before you get too far, discuss with your child the possibilities. There might be groups you absolutely do NOT want them to be part of. For example, my best friends has two boys and she does not like the policies of the Boy Scouts.
I’ve looked into the possibilities for her and feel for our area, 4-H or Quest Clubs would probably be best. 4-H has a lot of great science offerings and is supported by many universities. Quest Clubs is an offshoot of the Frontier Girls. The woman who started it was a Girl Scout and didn’t like the way things were going. Due to many requests, she started the co-ed Quest Clubs as well.
For her, either way would require that she (or if she suckers me, I) run a group. The closest 4-H group is in a town 45 minutes away. Quest Clubs are completely online, so we could do that easily . . . and materials are a lot cheaper.
Your Requirements
You might need to set limits for the amount of clubs or time they can spend on them. You want your kids to be happy, but not overwhelmed.
My oldest daughter was on the swim team. Every day after school, some days before school and every Saturdays were full. We did a lot of driving to meets. The “club” ended up taking over our family life. She loved it, so it was worth it to us. It might not be for you.
Clubs might meet frequently, require activities outside of meeting time and more. You need to be aware of what they expect of you. You also want to know the group itself in case you don’t agree with their point of view.
Know Your Child
There are some things you know about your child that no one else would. If a club is popular, there will be a lot of kids attending. If your child doesn’t like large groups of people or a lot of noise, you need to point this out.
You also know their interests from the items they ask to you buy to the YouTube videos they watch. Pay attention! If necessary, keep a list to help you guide your child in the right direction.
Of course, many times they’ll want to join because their friends do. They’ll have no other reason. Just be aware of what they’re signing up for.
Keep Up on It
Ask your child about their meetings, their activities and whether they like it. At the start, do it frequently as you’ll quickly pick up on whether they are enjoying it or not. I’ve often told my girls that if they decide they don’t want to do something, they are free to blame me. Just tell the adult that “mom said I can’t.” That alleviates any animosity toward my girls and directs it at me. I’m a big girl and I can handle it.
Enjoy your time!
Your child is only this age once. Be sure they enjoy themselves. This will help keep them positive and that will carry over into your home. This is the time you’ll be most involved in your child’s life. I hope you enjoy it as well.
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