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Old 10-13-2011, 09:40 PM
 
Location: here
24,873 posts, read 36,102,689 times
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I assume the people with kids in the activities "really" pay that much for them. How else would they be doing it?

If you make "well into 6 figures" you make enough money to put your kids in some activities if that's what you want to do. If it isn't a priority for you, don't do it.

I have 2 kids, ages 6 and 8, and they are both in one activity at a time pretty much all the time, plus one is in scouts. I do it because I think physical activity and learning new things is important. I want them to find something they like and are good at. You can't do that without trying.

The only activities I ever wanted them to do, but didn't because of the cost were an art camp and a lego engineering camp which were $200+ for one week of half days.
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Old 10-13-2011, 09:46 PM
 
Location: A Yankee in northeast TN
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If your son likes to sing and is comfortable in front of an audience you might consider trying childrens theater also.
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Old 10-14-2011, 07:44 AM
 
Location: New York City
2,814 posts, read 6,859,718 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DubbleT View Post
If your son likes to sing and is comfortable in front of an audience you might consider trying childrens theater also.
I second this. Musical theater is more fun than being in a choir, imo. It's also a great opportunity to socialize. Every city has these kinds of classes these days.
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Old 10-14-2011, 07:51 AM
 
11,642 posts, read 23,859,121 times
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Originally Posted by gimme it View Post
I second this. Musical theater is more fun than being in a choir, imo. It's also a great opportunity to socialize. Every city has these kinds of classes these days.
The only thing about musical theater is that it can be sort of cutthroat at a very young age. If there is a community group, run by the city that might mitigate the issues. Theater parents can make it very unpleasant for the kids at very young ages.
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Old 10-14-2011, 08:08 AM
 
Location: You know... That place
1,899 posts, read 2,846,990 times
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This thread really had me start thinking about ECs. I didn't know they looked at those on college applications. I know they didn't care much when I started college in 1997 which wasn't that long ago (if anyone argues that point, I will give them "the look"). I enrolled DD in ECs because she asked if she could do them. I thought they would be fun. We just happened to have it work out that one was great for her mind and one was great for her body. Out of her friends, she is the one enrolled in the most EC activities. Even then DD's cheerleading is 40 minutes a week. Her Odyssey meetings are when she would be in after school care anyways, so I don't really count that as time away from other activities. She spends the rest of her week playing outside with her friends, cooking (she loves to cook), or doing homework.

Maybe it is just the area I live in, but I don't see overscheduling here. Her cheerleading class is open to half of our county. There is only one class for 5-6 year olds. Total enrollment is 8 girls. It is very cheap. I feel like if ECs were in such high demand around here, they wouldn't be asking us every week to bring in friends because enrollment is so low that they may have to shut down the program.

Like I said, maybe it is just my area, but I am not seeing the overscheduling around here. Also when I am talking to other parents, they talk about how DD begged them to try soccer or whatever EC they are in. The kids around here do ECs because they like them not because of what it may get them in the future.

Just my thoughts on all of this.
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Old 10-14-2011, 08:28 AM
 
17,183 posts, read 22,839,457 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by num1baby View Post
This thread really had me start thinking about ECs. I didn't know they looked at those on college applications. I know they didn't care much when I started college in 1997 which wasn't that long ago (if anyone argues that point, I will give them "the look").
They looked at ECs when I went to college in the early 60s. At least that is what our college councilors told us.
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Old 10-14-2011, 10:29 AM
 
Location: Geneva, IL
12,980 posts, read 14,536,888 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rkb0305 View Post
The only activities I ever wanted them to do, but didn't because of the cost were an art camp and a lego engineering camp which were $200+ for one week of half days.
RKB - did you know there is a Lego Robotics League? I was looking at starting up a team. If there isn't one in your area, it seems pretty straightforward to start one up, and is fairly inexpensive.

Welcome to Junior FIRST LEGO League! | USFIRST.org (http://usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/jr.fll - broken link)
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Old 10-14-2011, 11:28 AM
 
28,164 posts, read 25,238,496 times
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Originally Posted by num1baby View Post
This thread really had me start thinking about ECs. I didn't know they looked at those on college applications. I know they didn't care much when I started college in 1997 which wasn't that long ago (if anyone argues that point, I will give them "the look").

I graduated high school in the late 90s and ECs were definitely stressed to us.
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Old 10-14-2011, 11:41 AM
 
Location: A Yankee in northeast TN
16,012 posts, read 21,030,029 times
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Mine is still in college and the emphasis was put on quality over quantity.
They want to see something that shows leadership, entrepreneurial skills, community involvement, commitment, overcoming adversity, etc.
No point in belonging to ten different activities or organizations if your participation is minimal.
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Old 10-14-2011, 01:50 PM
 
11,642 posts, read 23,859,121 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DubbleT View Post
Mine is still in college and the emphasis was put on quality over quantity.
They want to see something that shows leadership, entrepreneurial skills, community involvement, commitment, overcoming adversity, etc.
No point in belonging to ten different activities or organizations if your participation is minimal.
My son is in the middle of the college application process now. When we have gone to admissions presentations all the schools say that they are looking for students who have other interests outside of pure academics. It could be a job, sports, theater, art, community service, etc...Really anything. They all stress that it's better to have one thing that you are passionate about than fifteen halfhearted interests.

When I went to school back in the stone age (early 80s) and ECs were part of the package that we were expected to present to colleges.
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