Why I do NOT sign my kids up for a lot of Activities
The Mama Bliss acronym that helps us remember simplicity is S.A.F.E. Stuff, activities, Flow and Electronics. Last week I chatted about Stuff and this week I'm on to Activities. I feel like this is the one area I have nailed down pretty well but it was NOT always this way.
At the moment, Maddie (who is 2) is not enrolled in any activities. This week she will be starting daycare three days per week and that is enough for this tiny two year old! She'll be taking part in some of the preschool enrichment activities which include yoga, stories and crafts and I am sure this will be a pretty big transition for her! I am planning on putting Maddie in swimming in the Spring, but for now, her free time will be spent at home, outside going for walks, playing at the park and visiting family and friends.
Layla is enrolled in ballet once a week, on Saturdays. For September and October, we had her enrolled in ballet AND tap. These were back to back 45-minute classes and that was just WAY TOO MUCH for a not quite four year old. She was exhausted and melting down afterwards and it was having a negative effect on the rest of our day. Back in June, when it was time to sign her up for dance, I hummed and hawed about whether or not to sign her up for one or two classes and decided to sign her up for two because a) She was asking to do tap, b) I always wanted to learn tap and C) how cute would she be in those little tap shoes?!?! ADORABLE right? Looking back, I should have trusted my intuition, but we are on the right track now and finding some balance. She will also do swimming in the Spring or Summer because to me swimming is a must.
When Layla was not quite two years old I had her enrolled in Friday morning ballet class followed by swimming lessons directly after. Once again the double class thing was NOT IDEAL. This is what I mean when I say I did not always have this activities thing nailed down. I want the best for my kids and I want them to be exposed to all sorts of activities and experiences but expecting my kid to be able to self-regulate for two activities in a row at two years old just wasn't working for us.
While the kids are little, I plan on enrolling them in one activity per season and we'll see how that goes. I know that as the seasons of our family life change, the girls will have their own opinions on what they take part in and they may take part in more activities, but for now my husband and I get to choose and I'll try to trust my intuition! I have a low tolerance for busy family schedules and need a lot of down time and alone time and I an seeing some of these characteristics in Layla, so I'm doing what's right for us right now.
What is your family schedule like? Do you feel like it's too busy or just right? How have you found a balance for your family? Share in the comments below!
-Breyen