{"id":72216,"date":"2024-03-26T00:03:09","date_gmt":"2024-03-26T04:03:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=72216"},"modified":"2024-03-26T00:03:09","modified_gmt":"2024-03-26T04:03:09","slug":"is-your-child-overscheduled-how-to-get-the-balance-right-on-extracurricular-activities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/is-your-child-overscheduled-how-to-get-the-balance-right-on-extracurricular-activities\/","title":{"rendered":"Is your child \u2018overscheduled?\u2019 How to get the balance right on extracurricular activities"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a weeknight, parents rush through the door from work, grab a snack, and then speed off in various directions to children\u2019s extracurricular activities. As they do, they are managing tired and hungry kids as they all move from one thing to the next. Sound familiar?<\/p>\n

As of 2022\u201323,\u00a0almost 50% of Australian children<\/a>\u00a0under 14 participated in extracurricular sport. According to the\u00a0Australian Bureau of Statistics<\/a>, 19% of Australian children aged five to 14 did music out of school hours in 2021\u201322, while 13% did dance and 5% did drama.<\/p>\n

There can be a\u00a0lot of pressure<\/a>\u00a0to have your child in extracurricular activities, as this is seen as a way of giving them a rounded education and upbringing. And it can get expensive.<\/p>\n

Pre-pandemic, Australian families spent an\u00a0average of A$1,859 per child<\/a>\u00a0per year on extracurricular activities.<\/p>\n

How do you get the balance right?<\/p>\n

What are the benefits?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Extracurricular activities can provide a range of benefits.<\/p>\n

Studies have shown extracurricular activities can help students academically. For example, a\u00a02011 study<\/a>\u00a0of US high school students showed participation in extracurricular activities was linked with better results in maths. Other\u00a0US studies<\/a>\u00a0have shown students who participate in extracurricular activities are more likely to complete a college (university) degree.<\/p>\n

Research has\u00a0shown<\/a>\u00a0extracurricular activities can help young people develop self belief, goal-setting, confidence and the ability to adapt to unfamiliar situations.<\/p>\n

In turn, it can also help with mental health and emotional regulation. Team activities have especially been shown to reduce anxiety in already anxious kids, increase a sense of belonging and boost social awareness.<\/p>\n

What are the drawbacks?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

You may have heard media reporting about \u201coversheduling<\/a>\u201d. Too\u00a0many activities<\/a>\u00a0can see children neglect their schoolwork and limit family time, which are also important parts of growing up. It can also have an impact on children\u2019s sleep.<\/p>\n

High levels of sport in particular can lead to injuries and burnout.<\/p>\n

It can also lead to \u201covertraining syndrome<\/a>\u201d where children don\u2019t recover adequately from previous training or competitions.<\/p>\n

Not only does a child lose interest in the activity but their mood is linked to how well they perform. The activity can also come to dominate the family\u2019s life.<\/p>\n

How do you get the balance right?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Start by working out as a family what is financially reasonable and how much time you can commit. Think about not just the game or lesson itself but any other regular training or practice that may be involved.<\/p>\n

Look at what your child is genuinely interested in, rather than what you feel they should do (as this just adds unnecessary pressure).<\/p>\n

You could consider limiting children to one or two activities per week. This allows the child to focus on that activity and any training or practice that goes with it.<\/p>\n

But there is no magic number of activities experts consider to be the \u201cperfect\u201d amount \u2013 each child is different. Some\u00a0other factors<\/a>\u00a0you can consider are:<\/p>\n