https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 10 Apr 2026 01:56:30 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/activities-how-much-time-commitment#post-2879897 Tue, 09 Apr 2019 05:15:17 +0000 honeybear 2879897@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think that schedule and the proposed additions are both normal, at least in certain neighborhoods, and a lot. </p> <p>I would pick one thing for the 6 year old to do and tell the 3 year old that outside classes don't start until 6. I say this because I also tried classes with my then 3 year old and we quit. You're right, the time commitment is too much unless the parent is really into that particular activity. If you personally wouldn't do it for fun, I wouldn't bother with a class at 3, 4, or 5. And if you WOULD do that activity for fun, just go do it with your child instead of putting them in a class. Instead, I'd do the free and fun stuff like library story times (which provide plenty of adult-led activity at those ages), getting outside to play, going to parks, pursuing stuff you like to do, etc. </p> <p>We picked up with a different extracurricular at 6.5 and it was a completely different ballgame. My child was ready to focus and practice, I was happy to supervise the lessons and practice required, and it didn't feel like a chore to get there/do the required extra work. I feel like even 6.5 is a little young, and that we'd very likely have had the same experience at 7 or 8. I really don't think there's a rush to do all the things. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/activities-how-much-time-commitment#post-2879884 Mon, 08 Apr 2019 23:07:46 +0000 Corduroy 2879884@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I tried to avoid over scheduling but I feel like even though I limited what I signed the kids up for we're still running around. My K DD is in extended care 7am - 5:45 pm. She also has...</p> <p>Girl Scouts - every other week for 1 hour. 3-4 hours on a weekend once a month (optional). We're coming out of cookie season that took some additional time. </p> <p>Outdoor School - 1x per week. Replaces regular extended care with a field trip to a regional Park and usually a nature center. I have it more categorized as "care" than an activity because I don't have to do anything for it or change my schedule but DD definitely sees it as an activity. I want more like this.</p> <p>Gymnastics - Friday afternoons at the community center. Super chill (except they don't let you in if you're 5 minutes late). </p> <p>With summer coming up I'd like to add swim lessons but I just don't see when that would be. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/activities-how-much-time-commitment#post-2879808 Mon, 08 Apr 2019 15:06:40 +0000 KT326 2879808@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My 7 year old is in little league. He has practice once a week and two games. Games are on either Tuesday or Thursday and Saturday. He loves it and it is a great motivation to get homework done early! I'm also Treasurer of the league, team parent for his team and DH is a coach. So we are all quite busy! My youngest is only 2 and doesn't have any activities yet. So it will be interesting to see what happens when he is older. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/activities-how-much-time-commitment#post-2879807 Mon, 08 Apr 2019 15:06:08 +0000 DillonLion 2879807@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We wound up in a sport that was practice 2x a week PLUS a game, and it was insanity for my kid (3-5) at the time. It was a huge time commitment for us as parents, and LO hated it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/activities-how-much-time-commitment#post-2879799 Mon, 08 Apr 2019 14:35:51 +0000 ValentineMommy 2879799@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My 6 year old does baseball (it's somewhere between tball and baseball) and piano. For baseball, it's twice a week (one weeknight for practice and saturdays for games). For piano, he goes once a week, but does need to practice once or twice during the week to really "improve" between lessons. In addition, he has homework every week (in K). As the person running the show, so to speak, and with two younger kids, I do feel like it's a lot. BUT, my son (the one doing everything) does not feel that way, and loves all of it. </p> <p>I think you just need to find a balance of what works for your family and child! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/activities-how-much-time-commitment#post-2879612 Sat, 06 Apr 2019 19:28:24 +0000 JCCovi 2879612@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>From what I can tell around here, dance and martial arts always push for 2-3 times per week whereas team sports are once a week at this age. I wouldn’t give in to the pressure, so what works for you and your family! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/activities-how-much-time-commitment#post-2879606 Sat, 06 Apr 2019 18:59:51 +0000 MrsADS 2879606@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son is only 3.5 but he's in full time daycare (and we really do everything to make his days as short as possible, some days he's there 8 hours but often it's 6-7hrs). And with that, he's EXHAUSTED. I can't imagine putting him in any extra activities, although I think he might like something like gymnastics. I think sports and activities are great for kids, but I don't want him to be overscheduled, so we'll reevaluate as he gets older, I guess. I know there are a lot of kids in his class at school who do dance/baseball/etc. and I'm not sure how they fit it in.</p> <p>I am learning to figure skate as an adult, and I told my husband that we've already missed our son's window to start for the Olympics, because he's too old. :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/activities-how-much-time-commitment#post-2879598 Sat, 06 Apr 2019 18:12:06 +0000 PinkElephant 2879598@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't personally believe my kids at 5 and 7 are really old enough to "specialize" - so we do a ton of activities as we're figuring out what they like and where their talents are...but only once a week. I think next year they may start to focus more on what they love (the 5 year old may do several dance classes and drop most of her other activities - the 7 year old isn't really clicking with anything just yet).</p> <p>They currently do:<br /> 2 yr old - dance, music class when she's @ gym childcare<br /> 5 yr old - ballet/tap, swimming, soccer, gymnastics<br /> 7 yr old - CCD (religious education), gymnastics, swimming, occupational therapy </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/activities-how-much-time-commitment#post-2879593 Sat, 06 Apr 2019 17:08:34 +0000 jhd 2879593@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My almost 5yo is doing soccer for the first time. It’s an 8-10 week commitment. One weekday evening and Saturday am. So far it’s going well but we don’t like to be over scheduled so he will be limited to one activity for now! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/activities-how-much-time-commitment#post-2879591 Sat, 06 Apr 2019 16:26:39 +0000 Foodnerd81 2879591@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LadyDi: that’s the exact balance I struggle with. My 5 yo- not even in K yet- is over scheduled already, but at this point it’s too hard to drop things. But I hear if kids don’t try things early then they feel left behind if they want to try later. Next year when she starts full day K she can choose one thing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/activities-how-much-time-commitment#post-2879587 Sat, 06 Apr 2019 15:07:07 +0000 LadyDi 2879587@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS1 is only 3.5 and he does swimming once a week. I think when they are that young anything more than once a week is excessive and not necessary. I really want my kids to try different activities, especially because my parents never signed me up for anything when I was young and by the time I was old enough to ask them to I felt really behind the other kids and was too timid to keep up with anything...but I also don't want him to end up over scheduled and want him to just be a kid. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/activities-how-much-time-commitment#post-2879583 Sat, 06 Apr 2019 14:34:20 +0000 Foodnerd81 2879583@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mama Bird: at the karate place we go it’s less about keeping up and competing one day, more about the discipline and routine, I think? I don’t know. It was too much for me to keep up with. Once a week is plenty. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/activities-how-much-time-commitment#post-2879577 Sat, 06 Apr 2019 12:20:32 +0000 erinbaderin 2879577@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My neighbours do hockey and I’m terrified that my son is going to want to do it because it’s both weekends, and EARLY - like, 7am games. I also want to sign him up for karate but all the classes recommend twice a week and I don’t know how we’d fit it in. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/activities-how-much-time-commitment#post-2879575 Sat, 06 Apr 2019 11:17:34 +0000 Mama Bird 2879575@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@youboots: ugh, that's the other thing! Practice outside of class. The chess class gives homework. We have a four-month-old at home, and I cannot focus on untangling a chess game while caring for a baby :bummed: </p> <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: @bhbee: yes - I can see spending more time on whatever the kids really like, when they're older, but for now it's just an introduction...</p> <p>@gotkimchi: @Foodnerd81: yeah, that's what I'm hearing in karate class. That they really need to be in class twice a week to keep up with the other kids, be able to compete eventually, etc. DS really likes it, but he's just started and doesn't even want to think of traveling to compete.</p> <p>@pachamama: I agree! I know kids that have that kind of "workload" but they never have time to just play, barely see their friends, and go to bed super late. As much as I'd love to let the LOs try everything, I think having free time is more important at this age. And even being a little bored sometimes is good :happy: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/activities-how-much-time-commitment#post-2879574 Sat, 06 Apr 2019 10:44:27 +0000 pachamama 2879574@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mama Bird: I agree that that sounds like a lot. I feel like it's good to expose them to a few things but I really don't want to overwhelm my kids with activities. Once a week sounds fine. I'm a proponent of just letting them play on their own in a more unstructured way. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/activities-how-much-time-commitment#post-2879568 Sat, 06 Apr 2019 08:09:50 +0000 Foodnerd81 2879568@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We’ve tried out a bunch of activities and only one has ever asked for twice a week- karate. They said it was better for getting the most out of it and they do focus a lot on things like good behavior and focus. But even that twice a week was too much and I switched to once a week (for half the cost). Everything else we have done- ballet, gymnastics, soccer, drama, and swimming, have all been once a week. Practice at home is optional. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/activities-how-much-time-commitment#post-2879567 Sat, 06 Apr 2019 07:15:16 +0000 bhbee 2879567@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>That’s a lot to me! I would guess it’s a combo of building their business and they themselves love it, but definitely do less if that’s what works for you. I’m dreading it getting busier as kids get older. I think our ballet studio has them take two classes a week by 3rd grade or so when it’s getting more serious </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/activities-how-much-time-commitment#post-2879565 Sat, 06 Apr 2019 07:09:34 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2879565@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO recently started baseball and as much as he likes it and looks forward to going he can be very uncooperative. I definitely see a benefit of him going twice a week when he’s older and more “coachable.” Right now at almost 3 I see this as an introduction to the sport and a lesson in focus. The program he’s in offered just weekly, but the coach asks us parents to practice the skills at home. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/activities-how-much-time-commitment#post-2879563 Sat, 06 Apr 2019 06:37:05 +0000 gotkimchi 2879563@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did karate and quit cuz it was twice a week. We don’t have the time for that right now </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/activities-how-much-time-commitment#post-2879562 Sat, 06 Apr 2019 06:34:33 +0000 youboots 2879562@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>T is in her second year of dance at 4 and neither of two studios have suggested she practice outside of class. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/activities-how-much-time-commitment#post-2879552 Sat, 06 Apr 2019 00:42:05 +0000 Mama Bird 2879552@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So this year we've finally dipped a toe into having the kids do activities outside of school. The six-year-old does chess and karate, and the three-year-old does ballet. They go once a week to each of these. I'm kind of surprised that all of the teachers are trying to get us to do their activity twice a week. Is that normal, or kind of a lot? I mean... unless you know this is a child's great passion, that's kind of a big time commitment considering that a child may have other activities/siblings who also need to be taken somewhere/parents who work far away and are already struggling to get there on time one day a week :bummed: </p>