extracurricular activities

[cruizie]

OP - just a thought - our gym (gymnastics, dance & theatre arts) does free trials. Maybe if she could go see what a class is all about, she would have more interest? Or what about karate? Swimming? Art lessons?

 

[sahm1000]

I have two children but only my oldest is really involved but my youngest is getting there!

The oldest, DD4 has:

Soccer $50 for a two month 8 game season (two 1 hour practices a week)and soccer camp this summer for 1 1/2 hours a day for a week at $75

Gymnastics once a week at $75 a month (45 minutes)

Swimming once a week for $120 dollars for a 12 week session

After she turns 5 this summer she will be $85 a month for gymnastics but it will be for an hour session.

The youngest, DD2 has:

Gymnastics once a week at $60 a month (30 minutes)

My youngest will also start swimming lessons in June after her third birthday and her gymnastics will go up to $75 a month and will be 45 minutes.


We started gymnastics with both of my girls when they were about 15 months old (really before they had an opinion on it!) just as a play thing and they have both really loved it. I have no aspirations of them being olympic material but I figure it helps their coordination. I feel strongly about my children learning to swim due to safety reasons. In my opinion if they want to be around a pool they have to learn to swim and take lessons or they won't be in a pool at all. I was always a swimmer and lifeguarded for 6 years at a water park (best job I ever had!) and I do hope they will both love the water as much as I do. We never pushed the swimming issue but both were in water and were dunked (quickly!) from around 15 months old. Neither one have been afraid of the water thankfully. Soccer for my oldest is something that she asked to do and I'm glad about it. I also think it is important that kids learn to participate in a team sport.

Really the only thing we have pushed on our kids as far as extra curriculars is the swimming for safety reasons. On the flip side of that my kids seem to be bored if they are sitting around the house for too long! Even if it isn't an organized activity we try to have them outside playing and riding bikes. I don't want to raise a couch potato so tv time is kept to a minimum.

 

[holly7347]

My oldest who will turn 5 this month takes swim and dance classes at our local YMCA. If I let her she would do nothing but sit on the couch and watch TV all day so I was trying to find something active and fun for her to do. The first couple times I told her it was dance class day she said she didn't want to go. I told her that she had to finish this session since I already paid for it but if she still didn't like it when the once a week 8 week session was over she could stop. She LOVED the little mini recital they did at the end and has been dancing ever since. We are in our 4th session now. I may sign her up at a real dance studio next fall but I wanted to try something cheaper first to see if she was interested. I think we pay about $20 for 8 30 minute classes, that is the YMCA member price for non-members it was about double.

My youngest who just turned 3 will start taking swim lessons this month at the Y. You had to be 3 to take a lesson without your parent in the water so I waited until after her b-day and signed her up. She loves running, kicking, and chasing after balls so I think I'm going to sign her up for soccer at the Y when she turns 4.

The only requirement to me is that they learn to swim. Lots of our neighbors have pools and we go swimming alot in the summer and when on vacation. DH works days and I work nights so I'm with them at the pool alot alone and to me it is just a safety issue that they know how to swim since I can't hold them both in the water at the same time. And when they are older and going to friends houses I want to know that they know how to swim incase the parents aren't watching them as close as they should around a pool.

I think lessons/classes are a great way to experience new things and make new friends. I did lots of extra stuff when I was younger and I want my DD's to experience as much of that as possible. When I was a kid I took dance from Kindergarten through my 2nd year of highschool, I took a couple years of Karate, a couple sessions of gymnastics at the YMCA, lots of swim classes at the YMCA, accordian , piano. At at my small school I was a chearleader, volleyball and softball player.

 

[holly7347]

OP here --this is exactly why I asked this question -- when I ask her about anything she just says no -- our conversation yesterday afternoon:

ME: Do you want to take dance lessons
DD: No
Me: How about gymnastics -- would you like to take gymnastics lessons?
DD: No
Me: How about piano lessons - do you want to learn to play the piano like mommy does?
DD: No
ME: Do you want to take horseback riding lessons?
DD: No
ME: Well, what would you like to do?
DD: I just want to be me

DS(11) started t ball at 5 and has played baseball every year since. He did boy scouts for a while - but lost interest. He also takes guitar lessons and rock band. And, he is in 4-H.

It seems that if your child doesn't start early (especially in some of these activities) they will be left behind. I am concerned that she will hate it but I'm wondering if I should just take her to see if she might like it.

Sounds very much like the conversations I had with DD last year before she started dance classes. That is why I picked the YMCA rather than a "real" dance studio. There was no costumes or tickets (for recital) to buy just the cost of the actual class. I did get her ballet shoes and a leotard but even that wasn't required. The last class the parents or whoever can come and watch them put on a recital. Now DD loves it so I think we will try a real studio in the fall when the next session starts up.

I would see if you could find some place that isn't really expensive or really long like a 4 or 8 week session at the Y or maybe through your local recreation department. If you already have the piano that wouldn't cost much just to have her take a couple lessons. I did sort of force my DD to start dance but once she did she loved it.

 

[LoveMyDisneyCats]

I agree that you should have her try a few things- most places offer free trials (probably not rec centers or YMCAs). Call a dance studio or gymnastics center or music school. Maybe even a sports academy (if you have them there, they just started popping up all over around here.)

My DDs both started dance at 2 and now DD6 takes 8 classes a week. DD3 takes 2 or 3 a week (depending on her mood that week). I own the studio so they've just grown up with it, but they are always dancing around everywhere. We are currently working on understanding that leaping down the aisle at Target is not appropriate when it's full of people!

DD6 also just started soccer last fall and loves that too. I think she likes having the activity with her dad! DD3 will start in September with that too. DD6 tried cheerleading in kindergarten and could take it or leave it- maybe later on in a different program??

Our feeling is that we don't mind the running around if they really enjoy doing it. We were both so busy growing up and wouldn't have had it any other way- I think our kids are the same (at least so far), we'll see as they get older if that changes. I could totally see my DD3 telling me when she's 12 or so that she just wants to do nothing- she'll be my pink haired, pierced child!

 

[momto2inKC]

My 9 year old daughter is in her first year of dance. She does Jazz and Show Kids ($55/month, each class meets once a week for 45 min). Next year she will also be taking Tap, so the price will go up about $7 a month to add her 3rd class.
She is also in Girl Scouts. This is her 4th year. The cost is very minimal for this. Registration is covered by money the troop makes, as is some of their activities.
She does school sponsored activities- Walking Club and Art Club. Both are free.
My son, 10 yrs old, does not presently do any activities. We've done baseball, soccer and scouts with him. The sports were around $75 to sign up for.