extra curriculars

Getting my kids into after-school extra curricular activities has been an ongoing battle with their Dad. I want them to be signed up for one activity each; he is more reluctant. So until this fall, they had never done after-school activities. If something was offered at school during lunch hour or class time, that was fine. Saturday morning neighbourhood soccer at the kindergarten level is about as much as we did on extra curriculars.

But the kids are getting older, and because they are girls, much of their recess time is now devoted to socialising. Which is important, no doubt, but it doesn't get them moving. And as they progress in the school system, phys ed becomes less and less of a focus. So we need to get their bodies moving, and we need to develop habits of doing physical activity. That is one thing that I missed growing up, and so working it into my schedule has always been a struggle. I want it to be second-nature for the kids.

So I worked up my courage and did something I was never able to do in my marriage - and this is embarrassing to admit: I told their Dad that I was signing them up for activities. If needed, I'd take them to all of them, but they were going to do this because I believe it's important. After a bit of back and forth he agreed, and now I've got the kids doing some fun stuff. 

The Bean is taking fencing, which she began in summer camp a couple of years ago. She is a bit disappointed that she doesn't get to use the metal épée just yet; they have her on a plastic foil, which she feels is totally bogus (or however kids say that nowadays). She's got her own fencing glove, and if she sticks with it, we'll invest in more of the gear. For now, she's using the club's extras. Fencing is a great fit for her because she needs to be hyper-focused on form and what the other person is doing. 

And Boo is in a pre-competitive swim class. She has not been a fan of the idea of taking a class, but she is doing well. The kid is built like a swimmer and she is fast, so it just made sense to put her there. Her biggest complaints: she is the youngest in the class (um, because you're that good, kiddo), that the other kids move too slowly and get in her way (again, coz you're good), and that she doesn't have any friends in the class (which was only true until the middle of the second class).

These activities make us busier than we were and it can be a challenge fitting in everything. It makes me wonder how people have two or three activities per kid per week, plus get homework done, plus have time together as a family, plus have time to just relax. Two evenings a week our schedules are a bit of a dash. At the same time, I get to enjoy the company of the other child while the one is busy in her sport. That's been an added bonus I hadn't counted on. I guess that's my extra curricular activity.