Only once a child is born, is when you realize that there is so much more to learn and think about before taking any decisions. From deciding on the diaper to the doctor, school, tiffin box, everything; needs a lot of thought so that it best suits your child and yourself.
Same goes for the extra curricular activities for your child. Different parents and kids have different interests and goals. Hence, discussion and taking advice is very important, but at the end of the day, it is very important to leave the herd mentality and instead chalk out a personalized plan that lies in the best interest for you and your child.
The 7 Golden Pointers to keep in mind before selecting any activity for your child are:
1.Time
One of the most crucial factors to keep in mind in a metro city is time. And to avoid wastage of any time on travelling, the best is to find out a place close to the child's school or your own residence.
This way, your child and you don’t get tired while travelling. Moreover, you also have the option of leaving the child in the class and returning home to finish some chores while the class is underway.
Encourage your child to try to play any sport he or she enjoys
2. Child’s Inclination
Whenever you plan on a certain activity for your child, make sure you are mentally prepared, that the child may or may not find it interesting enough as while their growing up phase, it takes a little bit of trial and error to figure what they are really inclined towards.
Check if the classes offer a trial session because then your child can get an idea of what to expect. Also, put your child in a class where there are children of the same age group. If there is a mix of older children, chances are s/he will begin to feel that they can’t match up and will lose interest and probably self-confidence.
3. Scope for Advanced Training:
There is no point of a certain training if there is no further learning to master the skill. It would be like a lesson half learned. Do make sure that the classes you've enrolled in build up healthy competitions and make the kids participate regularly and prepare them for the same.
4. Multiple centers
This one's a long shot! For the sake of a safe future planning, if you need to change your residence or child's school due to any reason, make sure the activity that you are enrolling your child into has either make branches spread across or is commonly found locally. You wouldn't want your child’s training to be halted or have to travel the extra mile to go to class.
You wouldn't want your child’s training to be halted or have to travel the extra mile to go to class.
5. Safety
This is especially relevant in the case of sport related activities; availability of safety equipment, first aid facilities and a contingency plan in case of emergencies should all be in place for the classes.
Also, it's best to do a background check of the staff and their reviews. Sometimes a bad set of responsible people cause a terrifying experience for the child that they wish to never pursue anything or go back. So it's best to be 100% sure of the mental and physical safety of the child before enrolling.
6. Expenses
The major concern that most parents these days have: Money. It is no secret that a child's education and extra curricular activities are very expensive and competitive these days. Best is to plan in advance, divide the budget and then look out for places that fit your budget as well as the quality. But remember, it’s not just the monthly fees, but also additional costs that you will need to budget for like uniforms, equipment, accessories, exam fees if any, cost of travel etc.
But remember, it’s not just the monthly fees, but also additional costs that you will need to budget for like uniforms, equipment, accessories, exam fees if any, cost of travel etc.
7. Overload:
To make it easier for the child to cope up the rat race, make sure you don't take away their innocence and childhood fun. While planning activities, do keep in mind the amount of schoolwork your child has to deal with. Allow enough time for school projects and homework as well as some downtime for free play and relaxation. You definitely don’t want your child to be stressed about managing school and extracurricular activities both together.
Allow enough time for school projects and homework as well as some downtime for free play and relaxation. You definitely don’t want your child to be stressed about managing school and extracurricular activities both together.
Also Read: 8 activities to do with your kids without any talking or walking
