Juggling activities – is it possible?
Settling into a new year also comes with a long list of activities for you and the kids.
While our intentions as parents is to provide our kids with a holistic range of
activities is well-meaning, it’s important that we juggle it so it doesn’t
affect our family lives negatively.
Set boundaries
Know what
your non-negotiables are. Decide upfront what are the activities you don’t want
your child to miss out on, and what you can manage and commit to them. For
example if you want to invest in developing social and gross motor skills from
a program like Ready Steady Go, make it
a priority and keep a list of the other things you want to do and see when and
how you can fit it all in. Over-scheduling is only disastrous for you and your
little ones. Yes, it’s true that organised activities can help children gain
skills and self-confidence, but too much structured activity can contribute to
anxiety, stress, and depression in children and cause kids to become
self-critical perfectionists, reports a 2006 study by the American Academy of
Pediatrics. Remember, there are always options. The other ‘wants’ can be done
during another term or a on a casual basis – you’ll find that some activities
offer casual visits. You can give your child an opportunity for a vast array of
activities, just not all at the same time.
Revisit the activities
Kids
interests shifts so quickly. One day they’ll be overly obsessed with something
the next week they’re onto something else. Be sure to revisit the activities
your child is enrolled in. Are they still interested? Are they just not cut out
for it? Do they need a break for a term? Forcing a child to do something only
adds more stress to the juggling pot you’ve already got on. It’s ok to take a
break and resume later.
Value family time
Time as a
family is vital to the development of every child. If you haven’t got a set
family time, make sure you create on and protect it with your life. For
example, if Friday night is games night – no matter how short – make it a
tradition. For a child, not only are these activities fun, but they make them
feel secure in the family and instill that family connection that will help them all
through life. And family time is more invigorating than running from one
activity to the next.
Don’t put pressure on yourself!
There is an
activity for every interest under the sun, but it doesn’t mean that your child
has to do them all. First and foremost, they want your company. If all you manage is one activity a week,
that’s enough, because as long as you’re spending time with your little one,
you’re giving them the best. Cut yourself some slack and don’t feel the
pressure to enrol them in everything – you are their everything!
The struggle
is real, especially since we’re constantly trying to fit everything in, in
record timing. Ready Steady Go Kids is certainly an answer to some of your
juggling woes. It’s 10 different sports, focuses on gross motor skills, plus
aids in school readiness – that’s multi-tasking and time-saving in one single
activity! You can’t always win this juggling act, but the versatility of Ready
Steady Go is a win no matter which way you look.
