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Show The Right After-School Stuff Matching extracurricular activities to your child's, and your family's needs I By Kendeyl Johansen Ask any parent about why they enroll their children in after-school activities and you're likely to hear a laundry list of benefits. "Afterschool activities keep my kids busy and out of trouble, plus the kids learn about skills and commitment and meet friends," says Linda Mattson of West Jordan, mom to Taylor, 1 3, Tawni, 1 3, and Alix 10. Mattson keeps busy ferrying her kids to football, bike racing practice and dance lessons. It's easy to find after-school activities to enroll your child in-flyers come home from school and a flood of information arrives by mail and email-but how do you know what's appropriate for kids of different ages? And how can kids of any age successfully balance busy schedules? Choose Wisely "One of the main purposes of after-school activities is to continue working on developmental skills. Some kids benefit from sports activities, some from social activities-it depends on what the particular child needs," says Dr. John Wall, a pediatrician practicing in Salt Lake. He continues, "Smaller kids skills are very different from older children, so it's up to the parent to decide what they think the child would enjoy and which activities would benefit the child." Team sports like soccer and basketball help kids build large motor skills and teach socialization, while art classes, like drawing or painting, hone fine motor skills. Ask your kids what they're interested in and decide whether an activity will benefit your child. "Most parents do pretty well as far as picking ageappropriate after-school activities . for kids. If parents expose kids to 10 SCOTT SINE/PARK RECORD different activities, let the kids guide them towards what they do well, and the kids are having fun, then everyone is well-served," says Dr. Wall. Grade School Guide After-school activities for grade schoolers should focus on fun. Make sure the activity takes place in a safe area and that the child and you feel comfortable with the instructor or coach. Also, ask yourself whether your child is developmentally ready for a desired activity. "Don't take a tiny kid and put him on football team," says Dr. Wall. The rules and complexities of football can overwhelm young kids and cause injuries by overtaxing little bodies. If your child is complaining that her knees hurt or she's tired and hurting a lot she's working too hard at an activity. Barbara Lester, MSW of Salt Lake, says, "Certain types of competitive situations are hard for school-aged kids. Be cautious if there's only one winner because not winning is difficult for small children, especially if there's a lot of pressure." A good low-pressure activity for kids is soccer. Boys and girls can both play the game, soccer appeals to kids of all body types, and most coaches at the elementary-school level focus on fun. Additionally, soccer provides exercise and teaches kids teamwork and socialization skills. Your kids will have plenty of time to enroll in complex sports when they're older. To hone your child's fine motor skills try music lessons or beginner art classes. "Fine motor skills are about doing something quickly but also carefully. With musical instruments kids sometimes repeat the same movement over and over, but if they're drawing with a pen, pencil or paintbrush they're doing very different things," says Dr. Wall. If you decide to enroll your child in music lessons, keep in mind that some instruments are easier for young children to play then others. The piano is a good choice for youngsters, where a violin is more complex since the child has to position the instrument correctly, execute precise finger movements and maneuver the bow. If grades suffer because of extracurricular activities tell your child that school comes first. Mattson says, "My kids are really organized and always do their homework before activities because they know otherwise they don't go." Middle School Tools "In middle school kids tend to start experimenting with things like smoking and there's lots more pressure to do things," says Dr. Wall. Kids of this age often want to sign up for activities with friends, and you can maximize positive influences by letting your kids sign up with friends that you'd like them to socialize with. Lester adds, 'The Park City Parent Back to school / OB.2004 |