WWYD? (overscheduling)

AggieCouple

ML is in ballet, which she loves.  They have summer sessions, and she wants to continue it.

But, I'd really like to put her in swim lessons.  She's 4 now and doesn't know how to swim.  The lessons are only for 4 weeks, so I'd like to schedule them 2x a week.  We're also keeping her in preschool through the summer because there is a good chance she'll lose her spot if we pull her out (in fact, she got her spot because someone else pulled their child during the summer).

So obviously, school, swim, ballet is way too much, right?  She wants to do it all. Would you nix the ballet for the summer anyway?

luckyluvr

If swimming is only 2X per week, it's likely no more than an hour each time, right? I wouldn't cancel ballet if she wants to do it. It's not like she's in school for 8 hours and then has 3 hours of swimming and 3 hours of ballet in the same day. Now if all 3 DO fall on the same days, that would probably be too much.

elm1032004

I think it depends on the kid.  How many days a week is she is preschool and is it a full day or a partial day program?  My DD is 4 as well, she has dance, 2 days of school, gymnastics and soccer.  She loves doing all her activities.  School is only 2.5 hours a day and the other activities are an hour or less.

AggieCouple

School is 8:30-3:00 and she will be going 3 days a week during the summer.

AshlynsMom

As long as swim and ballet aren't on the same days, I don't think that's too much.  DD is almost 5 and goes to full-day PK, gymnastics (2x/week) and swim lessons (2x/week, different days than gymnastics).  She can handle it--she doesn't get overtired and melt down or anything.  And she loves them both, so I don't want to take her out now because when winter gets here, my schedule takes priority over hers.

summerbrideDC

I dont' think so. Ethan is going to be doing summer "camp" (which is school) 3x a week from 8:30-1pm; then one afternoon he has a cooking class, one afternoon he's got his gym class, one afternoon he's got a drum class and he's got soccer on Saturday morning. 

It's really only school in the morning and one activity an afternoon w/ 2 afternoons off for play dates.

I think anything less and E would be incredibly bored over the summer. 

EliseB0323

I don't think that 2 activities and school is overscheduling.

hikerbeth

My DD had this exact schedule for the month of February (swimming 2x per week, ballet 1x per week and school. . . although her school was only half days).

I thought it was really important for her to get some swimming lessons in before the baby was born.  Yes, it was a crazy month, but it was only a month. . . we won't do another swim session for a little while.

CleoKitty

Yes, I would probably skip ballet over the summer but that's just me. I have a much lower tolerance for multiple scheduled activities than most of the other moms on this board it seems. Really, I think it's mostly dependent on how much running around YOU feel like doing.

Personally, I'm looking forward to a summer with minimal commitments. No preschool at all (luckily our school follows an academic year calendar so there's no worry about losing our spot.)  I think I'll sign ds up for one or two sessions of swim lessons (they meet five mornings/week but each session is only two weeks long) but otherwise I just want the kids to have lots of free time for us to hang out, go to the pool, play outside, visit with friends, put around in the garden, learn to ride a 2-wheeler, etc.

hikerbeth

CleoKitty:

Personally, I'm looking forward to a summer with minimal commitments.

I will ditto that I'd be less likely to do a schedule like this over the summer.

vtgirl

I think it depends on the kid, mom and which days they fall on. If she has school, then ballet or school, then swimming, it shouldn't be an issue. But if all three fall on the same day- I would try to avoid that happening. GL!

Zenya

CleoKitty:

Yes, I would probably skip ballet over the summer but that's just me. I have a much lower tolerance for multiple scheduled activities than most of the other moms on this board it seems. Really, I think it's mostly dependent on how much running around YOU feel like doing.

Personally, I'm looking forward to a summer with minimal commitments. No preschool at all (luckily our school follows an academic year calendar so there's no worry about losing our spot.)  I think I'll sign ds up for one or two sessions of swim lessons (they meet five mornings/week but each session is only two weeks long) but otherwise I just want the kids to have lots of free time for us to hang out, go to the pool, play outside, visit with friends, put around in the garden, learn to ride a 2-wheeler, etc.

Agree!!  And I don't think we do our kids any favors by not letting them relax and even be a little bored!  That's what summers are for.  Finding out how to view time differently and experience things differently.

DS is doing one week long summer camp (every day is only 90 minutes) and that's it.  The rest of the time we're going to go on long walks.. go to the gym... pool.. just soak it all up together.  I can't WAIT. 

ilovemygirls

I think it depends on the kid for sure.  Mine is in pre-K 4 days a week (2.5 hrs/day) and also has ballet & Kindermusik (both at the school, just prior to her class starting), piano & swimming.  I never wanted to be an 'overscheduled' parent, but honestly, my DD *loves* all of her activities.  She decided on her own to take a break from swimming for the next session (we do year-round swimming class) and we were fine with that.  She does keep asking to get back into tumbling, but I've told her we'll look at that when the new school year starts & she'll no longer be at the preschool where she does 2 of those activities.  My new philosophy on it is that if they love it & are thriving, why not do it?!?

AggieCouple

Yeah, now that the kids are older, we have real downtime together as a family and we all enjoy it and I had hoped to optimize during the summer.  Especially since we'll be TTC this summer, and next summer we'll (hopefully) be busy with a new baby.  

She does really love ballet though, and for her, it's almost more of a playdate because she has friends she only sees there.  But so much time is spent getting ready, and getting there, and back, it does turn into an almost 3 hour event every week.