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#!Parentsroom Monthly Poll Results
Welcome to our Parenting Poll Page. Check here each month for the results of the previous month's poll, and also to see the results of past polls. Don't forget to answer this month's Poll.
Results of last month's #!Parentsroom Poll
Do kids these days have too many outside activities, or are these activities necessary to keep them out of trouble?
It looks like most of you feel that kids need a lot of activities to keep them out of trouble these days. I thought there would be more people who thought that kids had too many activities, but you guys surprised me again!
Here are the results in more detail:
- 48.7% Said that Kids need a lot of activities
- 30.7% Said Kids Have Too Many Activities
- 20.5% Said something other than the above answers
The following are some comments we received:
- The question is do the kids need all these activities to keep them out of trouble or to just keep them active so parents don't have to keep them out of trouble?? Kids need their parents TIME. I feel that playing catch in the backyard with Dad is far more important to the child than Mom dropping off the child at practice three times a week and going to run errands in the meantime. That is not to say that organized activities like sports and music are not important but they are no substitute for parental TLC.
- I think that it's very important to keep our children busy not necessarily with expensive sports but with activities that will promote growth socially and physically. I do believe that it keeps children out of trouble. I know that it saved me when I was a teenager when many of my friends were getting involved with the wrong crowd. Sports are super for kids!
- I was considering taking soccer away from my son due to bad grades when a police officer who is over the "Dare" program strongly suggested I reconsider. The statistics he gave me re: kids in extra activities vs the ones not and the trouble the got in were UNBELIEVABLE. If they start young and stay in the activities they are much less likely to become problem teenagers. It is also proven that if they become idle (even at parents demand) they don't always want to go back into it. Therefore leading in to trouble. Needless to say I found other punishments for my son. He is still a soccer, baseball etc player and I pray that he continues. Either way it will be his choice not mine but I will encourage and support it in any way possible!
- Many of today's activities for kids are designed in lieu of child care. while organization and structure are important for young children, "free" time to relax, just play and choose one's own activities is vital. it can reduce stress on the entire family -- keeping up with who goes where/when and gives children an opportunity to learn to make choices ( and take responsibility for those choices) to keep themselves busy and interested.
- I feel that kids do need outside activities to keep them out of trouble. However many parents get their kids involved in so many things it has the opposite effect. Children need time to spend with their friends. I feel if every minute is structured the child will rebel. We, as parents need to know with whom our children are spending their time and where they are at all times.
- I believe we often sacrifice "family time" for "activity time." Many families never sit down to dinner together because they are constantly running to activities, the children's or the parents. I have been a soccer "Mom" and now entertain many of my son's friends in our home, due to the fact that their parents are too busy with careers or their own extracurricular activities. I found the parental participation rate in soccer to be extremely low, leaving participation to a handful of parents. In fact, parental extracurricular activities include R&R for them to the beach or mountains, leaving their children in the care of others. In addition, the pace of life has accelerated to the point that retentive memory in children and adults is seriously threatened.
- I believe kids need outside activities. It's when they don't have anything to do that they get into trouble. BUT...there is a limit to how much they should have. If outside activities interfere with homework, chores, etc. then it might be a tad to much. I think it should be balanced out. We keep our children pretty active. I like to see the course their life is taking from it all. It's great. Otherwise, they would just be sitting around watching television or hanging out with friends all the time.
- Activities are important for kids today. However it is necessary for kids to have down time at home as well. One sport and one cultural activity per week is all that I recommend.
- Children need to explore what is out there. It is our responsibility as parents to give our children options and preferable alternatives to drugs and gangs. The more a child is exposed to the more chance that child has to find something that truly interests them.
- Activities like the Arts (Dance, Visual arts, Drama, Library functions), Sports, and other events give our kids an outlet for stress in life. Sometimes they want to do things, outside of school, with other children, away from the family. As well, family activities should be encouraged too. Nothing wrong with the TV or computer now and then, but a good bike ride with Mom and Dad or hiking over to the library to listen to some storytellers is great for kids. It exposes them to new things, encourages them into activities they may not have tried before, and gives them the courage to be creative and physical. Children with no outside resources to count on, like Boys and Girls clubs, Scouts, or other such activities, I feel are missing out on a lot of fun and learning opportunities outside of a "structured" setting, like school.
- Kids should have some activities, but not too many that would interfere with their homework.
- Kids not really need that much activities, what they need is activities with their parents and family and receive as much loving and care as they need.
- You see all these teenagers going out and committing criminal acts for fun I really feel those kids that are interested in football, dance class, etc don't go out looking for trouble for fun because they find fun in their activities.
- As a Mother first and an Educator second, I feel that children's lives are being too scheduled. As working parents, we need to schedule every minute of the day to ensure that we get every minute out of every day to accomplish our tasks os work and parenting. Children, however, should not be forced to do the same. That is our job. It is also our job to keep our children stimulated not stressed. Allowing time for spontaneity and more importantly allowing children the ability to make their own choices. As a child growing up, my Mother offered outside activities (dance, horseback riding)but not every single day. In that, I was able to learn how to spend my time as I chose. She didn't make all the decisions for me. Do I feel like reading? Riding my bike? I feel this allowed me to be a better adult, making appropriate decisions for myself. As a parent, I am constantly aware of allowing my daughters the freedom of choice with subtle guidance from myself.
- Most of my children's friends are busy all week long with music lessons, church, sports and other classes. At one time I got caught up in that role. I had to change this year, I was spending all my free time in the car driving them from practice to practice. I let them each choose a reasonable amount of activities (2 each a week). I try to guide them in quality choices, i.e. scouts, church youth groups, music lessons. I believe that we boomers try to plan our kids lives so we don't have to deal with them after school. Think about it. They spend 6 to 7 hours in school, come home, go to their practice, come home , do homework, and if possible eat dinner together, go to bed. When do they have time to just lay back and read a book, play outside? They need free time to just be kids. Some structure after school is good, but so is taking care of the spirit and soul within ourselves (themselves).
- I feel that they need to keep busy with all the negative influence these days to keep them out of trouble but if it affects their studies at school they probably have too much .
- It is up to the parents to limit what the children do. They would sign up for everything only to crash and burn and want to drop out of everything.
- I feel all kids need an activity that is their special time to excel and "show off" if you will. But many parents are pushing their kids to be involved in and excel at too many different extra carricular activities.
- Kids have so many activities today they have no expertise in knowing themselves. Spending time with family and friends and "just doing nothing in particular" is valuable in helping to define who we are.
- There is nothing wrong with an active child. I feel that I would rather have my child involved in outside activities instead of being in the house watching tv and playing video games.
- While a certain level of activities is vital and important to healthy development, most kids today, including my own, just don't have the "down time" to just be kids!
- I think it is up to the parents to supervise the number of activities that their child is involved in. Some children have many interests, but that does not mean that they need to be involved in an organized activity for each of those interests. It is up to the parents to help their children learn to prioritize and pick the organized activities that will fulfill them the most.
- I think a lot of kids these days do, indeed, have too many activities. Kids need down time. It cannot be healthy for kids to go to school all day, then have classes after school, then come home to do homework, go to bed and start it all over again. I think one class once a week is about right for most kids. Kids need time to just hang out, that's what being a kid is all about!
- I believe kids do need some activities and yes it does help to keep them out of trouble, but there has to be a limit. A lot of kids are involved in so much that they can hardly keep up. It also takes it's toll on the parents because they are usually the ones taking them here and there. My kids are very involved in only one activity and seem to do fine. I also think that if kids are getting in trouble , it may not be a lack of activities but more a lack of parental guidance. My opinion only.
- Kids have too many activities. Childhood goes by quickly, and children need to take time to enjoy themselves and be kids, not compete in every sport and activity (costing their parents lots of money!). One activity the child enjoys is reasonable, affordable, and leaves plenty of team for studying and relaxing. (and helping out with chores as well).
- I think that the workload on children is too much to start with. They have a very heavy school curriculum and then have to do lots of homework but before they do that they have to do after school activities at least 3-4 times per week. Because everything is organised for them you find that when they are at home alone they constantly nag about what they should be doing. Children should be left with more time for making up games and enjoying their childhood instead of having to stick to times and activities made by adults who probably want them off their hands.
- Kids need to be kept busy with positive activities rather than having time to engage in the negative ones.
- I believe that it is extremely important for children to have many interests in order to be well rounded individuals. Whether they be sports, performing arts, or scholastic. However, these interests need to be closely supervised by the parents. Parents are the fundamental source of all learning that a child will receive. If you provide your child with a way to learn and expand they will. You must show interest or that child will lose interest.
- Kids need to have enough things in their lives to give them a feeling of purpose & direction.