Is it Thursday Already?
It’s probably just me but there should be a law wherein only people currently in the possession of children should be allowed to schedule children’s activities.
The fall season of volleyball is through a community center league. The games are always on school nights. When the game is for the early evening it’s ok, but some of the games are scheduled for later, like 7:30, and usually in the hinterland. Even if, as usually happens, the girls win the first two matches, thus eliminating the need for a 3rd, we’re looking at an hour, plus travel time. It’s madness, I tell you. Children also have to do homework and eat a decent supper and get to bed.
Additionally, it turns out our games are on alternating Wednesdays and Thursdays, which would be fine except The Child has choir practice on Thursday. It’s doable, just a little nuttier than I would like. She’ll leave choir early this week and then in the course of the season she’ll miss one game and one practise. It’ll be fine.
When she started school we had a “one activity a trimester” rule. This worked very well when she was little and as she got older we upped the ante to 2 activities.
Things changed again this year. Volleyball and choir are no brainers. She loves volleyball and it’s good for a kid to have an athletic activity. Maybe she’ll go to college at Pepperdine and be very popular. She loves to sing in the choir and it is good for a kid to be exposed to the arts. Plus, it’s important for her to minister in the parish.
This year, however, she also wanted to join the Debate Club. As has been mentioned, this suits her innate talent for verbary and argument. In addition to that, middle school students at St. G’s are required to perform 30 service hours a year. Now on Wednesdays she stays after school to help with the Arts & Crafts program.
The good news: Monday through Thursday I have until at least 4pm to do as I like (or need).
On the other hand, is it too much? Moms. We worry like that.
This is a one trimester at a time kind of deal. So far it is working. She is getting her homework done. She’s getting enough rest. She’s happy, not stressed.
What about downtime, you ask? Well, you know, pretty much her idea of downtime is vegging in front of some sort of screen. One only needs so much of that. And at first she even considered dropping something in the interest of “more free time”.
But on reflection, these activites are what she does in her “free time”. She participates in them because she enjoys them. She’s spending time with friends; she’s engaging her mind and her heart. And it’s a lot, at least on paper, but having a fair amount of structure is actually encouraging more focus and discipline on her part. And let’s face it, that’s also real life. We all have to learn to manage our work and indulge our interests. It’s not a bad thing, at 12, to learn how to accommodate a lot of diverse activates and still fulfill your obligations, which in her case is keeping her grades about a D.
So, that’s the deal this trimester. When the 2nd one starts we’ll re-evaluate. If she decides she’d like to have fewer extracurriculars then she’ll drop something. I’m not, fortunately for her, a parent who’s going to insist she have her finger in every pie nor do I take inordinate pride in being “on the go”. Less stuff would be fine with me. For now, more is just dandy, too.
The fall season of volleyball is through a community center league. The games are always on school nights. When the game is for the early evening it’s ok, but some of the games are scheduled for later, like 7:30, and usually in the hinterland. Even if, as usually happens, the girls win the first two matches, thus eliminating the need for a 3rd, we’re looking at an hour, plus travel time. It’s madness, I tell you. Children also have to do homework and eat a decent supper and get to bed.
Additionally, it turns out our games are on alternating Wednesdays and Thursdays, which would be fine except The Child has choir practice on Thursday. It’s doable, just a little nuttier than I would like. She’ll leave choir early this week and then in the course of the season she’ll miss one game and one practise. It’ll be fine.
When she started school we had a “one activity a trimester” rule. This worked very well when she was little and as she got older we upped the ante to 2 activities.
Things changed again this year. Volleyball and choir are no brainers. She loves volleyball and it’s good for a kid to have an athletic activity. Maybe she’ll go to college at Pepperdine and be very popular. She loves to sing in the choir and it is good for a kid to be exposed to the arts. Plus, it’s important for her to minister in the parish.
This year, however, she also wanted to join the Debate Club. As has been mentioned, this suits her innate talent for verbary and argument. In addition to that, middle school students at St. G’s are required to perform 30 service hours a year. Now on Wednesdays she stays after school to help with the Arts & Crafts program.
The good news: Monday through Thursday I have until at least 4pm to do as I like (or need).
On the other hand, is it too much? Moms. We worry like that.
This is a one trimester at a time kind of deal. So far it is working. She is getting her homework done. She’s getting enough rest. She’s happy, not stressed.
What about downtime, you ask? Well, you know, pretty much her idea of downtime is vegging in front of some sort of screen. One only needs so much of that. And at first she even considered dropping something in the interest of “more free time”.
But on reflection, these activites are what she does in her “free time”. She participates in them because she enjoys them. She’s spending time with friends; she’s engaging her mind and her heart. And it’s a lot, at least on paper, but having a fair amount of structure is actually encouraging more focus and discipline on her part. And let’s face it, that’s also real life. We all have to learn to manage our work and indulge our interests. It’s not a bad thing, at 12, to learn how to accommodate a lot of diverse activates and still fulfill your obligations, which in her case is keeping her grades about a D.
So, that’s the deal this trimester. When the 2nd one starts we’ll re-evaluate. If she decides she’d like to have fewer extracurriculars then she’ll drop something. I’m not, fortunately for her, a parent who’s going to insist she have her finger in every pie nor do I take inordinate pride in being “on the go”. Less stuff would be fine with me. For now, more is just dandy, too.
Labels: volleyball
cobbled together by Moi at 11:49 AM
8 Comments:
Looking back, I think I was busier during high school than I've ever been since. Not having kids may play a slight part in that, though.
Where is everybody today?
Geez, I'm glad it's not just me. It's been way too quiet today. Damn blog buddies, probably out working or something. I hate that.
I raised 3 (3 years apart between each) They were envolved in Scouts,Band, Soccer Choir, church youth group, sometimes all at the same time. I was never busier in my life and now that it is over and they have all gone to college and have lives of their own, I sometimes long for those busy days. Oh I am still busy with a grandchild that I take care of daily for my daughter the teacher. Believe it or not you will miss all these crazy schedules and running with and for the child. Enjoy it while it lasts
I'll take your word for that, Dena. I do enjoy it. Most of the time.
Just make sure she never joins the Young Republicans.
Oh, I figure that's a fait accompli, don't you? In fact, I'm fully prepared for her to become a Republican and marry a Baptist minister. Talk about karma.
there should be a law wherein only people currently in the possession of children should be allowed to schedule children’s activities.
I love that Idea. It would make things like this much much easier...
That's why we keep it simple 'round here. Whittlin', fishin', cock fightin'--see, we're so laid back, we don't even use the g.
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