Extracurricular activities can offer positive experiences and benefits for children, from building social skills to fostering interests and talents. However, the pressure to sign up in toddlerhood and preschool can sometimes be premature and potentially lead to stress, anxiety, and other behavioral challenges. Here are five key prompts to consider:
1. Financial Limits
Before enrolling your child in any extracurricular activities, it’s crucial to assess the financial implications. Many activities come with costs for enrollment, equipment, travel, and uniforms. Ask yourself:
Can we comfortably afford this activity without straining our budget?
Are there less expensive alternatives that offer similar benefits?
It might seem like everyone around you is enrolled in specific activities, but it’s not healthy to overextend your family resources merely because of “fear of missing out.”
2. Child Interest
It’s essential that your child has a genuine interest in the activity. Forcing them into an extracurricular can lead to resentment and disengagement. Reflect on:
Has my child expressed interest or excitement about this activity?
Are we considering this activity for their benefit or to fulfill our own desires or expectations?
3. Competitive vs. collaborative environment
Extracurricular activities vary widely in their focus and environment. Some emphasize competition and individual achievement, while others foster teamwork and collaboration. It is essential to vet thoroughly so that you choose something truly aligned with your family values and appropriate for your child’s stage of development. Generally, highly competitive environments are stressful for young children. It is more appropriate to find uplifting, collaborative, pressure-free environments.
4. Time opportunity costs
Time is precious, and extracurricular activities can significantly impact your family’s schedule. It’s important to evaluate how these activities fit into your overall rhythms, particularly for a young child, and how much it may chip away at their need for downtime and free play. Young children build countless skills through unstructured, child-led play. This downtime is not for “nothing,” It is where they tap into everything they’re currently working on in their development. Ask yourself:
Does my child have enough time for free play?
Do we, as a family, already feel strapped for time?
Signing up for something new can be a great way for your child to build a strong sense of community and confidence. Keep in mind that it’s normal for your child’s interests to veer. They may love tee ball one week but want to try gymnastics the next month. Hold space for them to explore a variety of hobbies; avoid projecting your childhood interests onto them, and always double-check that structured signups are balanced by plenty of downtime.
Above all, be mindful about starting extracurriculars from a young age if it’s coming from a place of insecurity around what to do with them all day. You do not need to enroll your child in specific classes to help them build skills or explore hobbies. Play is how children build competency in social, emotional, cognitive, and motor skills!