Parent Talk

Each week, our Parents Council of experts takes your questions, gives advice and shares solutions.

Moms, dads, grandparents and the diverse families who make up our community will have a new resource for questions about local neighborhood schools, the best pediatricians, 24-hour pharmacies and the thousands of other issues that arise while raising children.

This week’s question is:

At what age do you believe it is a good idea to get your kids involved in after school activities, such as sports or band? And what are some good alternatives for students who are either not very athletic or interested in sports?

Judy Vincent

I think you can do age appropriate after school activities early on before the homework becomes out of control. 

The older a child gets, the more work is expected. Kids need to have a good night’s sleep and not at the expense of too much after school activity combined with too much homework. I think weekends are a great time to do activities, such as gymnastics,  dance, karate, music or art. 

There are classes out there to match everyone's interests, even the children who are not very athletic. There are drama workshops too. Something like band or chorus is something that individual schools may offer and that would be after the school day is done. If it doesn't interfere with dinner and homework, I'm all for it.