Olivia just had her last T-Ball game of the season. The last game of her very first season playing this sport. When asked if she was going to play T-Ball again, she replied, “I sure hope so!”
Olivia exudes enthusiasm over everything she does. Seriously. And she wants to do everything. Seriously. One day she’ll be asking me, “When am I going to do Karate?” The next, “Remember, I still want to learn to play the violin.”
This is so polar opposite of how her 13yo brother is I really can’t explain. Let’s just say we try to keep up and we try to find a balance. Before Olivia came along, I had no personal experience with limiting my child’s extracurricular activities: Conner was perfectly fine with the one activity we encouraged him to try. Actually, he was fine with no activities. Trying new things simply wasn’t on his radar; he always needed a little prodding.
Balance vs. Burn-Out and Budget
I know parents who have a one-activity rule. One activity at a time, that is. The reasons for this are obvious: burn-out and budget.
- You have to find a balance.
- You need to know your child.
- You need to recognize your own limitations.
We haven’t followed a strict one-activity rule with Olivia — yet. Mainly because a six-year-old is still dabbling and exploring. How can you choose which activity is for you when you haven’t tried them all?
Oh, I kid. Sort of.
Last month I wrote about Olivia’s dancing and outlined its approximate cost. Overlapping the end of the dance season, she started T-Ball. As soon as T-Ball finished she started a piano class with the school district’s summer program.
True to form, when T-ball finished (I believe it was on its very last day) Olivia asked me, “Now can I start Karate?” Um, no.
Her older brother currently takes group tennis lessons with the local Park District. He’s also enrolled in a class with the school’s summer program (Science Olympiad).
Tennis was his idea; it’s a sport he truly enjoys. Science Olympiad? Well, true to form, he needed a little um, er, prodding. As in, “I’m going to sign you up for a science class this summer.” And I gave him the choice between two.
Cost of Classes:
- Tennis Lessons: $80.00
- T-Ball Season: $45.00)
- Summer School Classes: $250.00
- Total: $388.00
Associated Costs:
- T-Ball Photos: $13.00 (and oh, were they awful. truly.)
- Snacks for T-Ball (parents usually take turns): ~3.00 (yes, I planned ahead and looked for mark-downs)
- T-Ball equipment: Glove, bat, T-Ball stand; ball: ~$40 (we totally lucked out when grandma and grandpa visited and took her shopping for these supplies)
- Appropriate T-Ball Shoes and Pants: $7.00 (yes, I scored at Goodwill.)
- Approximate Total: $63.00
Currently, my son is needing new tennis shoes, strictly for his tennis lessons because he otherwise lives in his flip-flops. But as per our new allowance system, he will be paying for those out of his new budget. I’m just waiting for him to tell me he’s ready to go shopping!
What About You?
How to kids’ activities play out in your household? Do you limit your kids? Do you follow a strict budget guideline? Does the cost in dollars and time spent schlepping and playing chauffeur put you over the edge?
This Fall Olivia will start dance again. I will probably also put her in swimming lessons*, along with her 4yo brother, who’s been jonesing to get in on the action. But I spent the last year schlepping him back and forth to speech therapy and to occupational therapy… And that was quite enough activity for one kid, thankyouverymuch. I do have my limitations, and it’s not always about finances.
For more fun questions and to add your own, go to “Aloha Friday” on An Island Life.
*I don’t consider swimming an extra-curricular activity so much as a life skill that every child needs to learn.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
We pretty much sign our kids up for whatever they want. Right now they're taking swimming, piano, taiko drums, and ballet.
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I just signed 3 of my daughter's up for soccer 240.00 they all really enjoy it. They would like to do different activites such as dance, tennis, karate but our budget just doesnt allow for mutiple activities right now as much as I would like to grant them the opportunity to try out whatever activities interest them it just isnt monetarily feasible.
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I don't feel so bad now that i look at you list. I thought my daughters HIp HOp and Baton Pom Pom classes, girl scoouts where bad.
I think with every thing we run about $700 so far this yr. and the dang pom pom class is still milking me!
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At this point we are doing NO activities. Or anything free. As much as I WOULD LOVE to let them do Karate and they want to. That is just not able to be budgeted into the way to small for normal bills budget.
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