Motivating Your Child in Activities Outside of School

Extracurricular activities can provide your child with experiences that she won't otherwise encounter. However, getting your child to swim class, track practice or her violin lesson might be difficult after a long day at school. While you shouldn't over-schedule your child, an activity or two outside of school is beneficial even if you need to use a few motivational strategies to get her out the door.

  1. Social

    • Kids who are in school all day spend plenty of time with their peers, but much of it is spent sitting and they do not get much time to play together. Your child might be more motivated to go to extracurricular activities that build in time with their friends. A 2002 article in the journal "Educational Leadership," an ASCD publication, focuses on improving educators' resources and points out that children in extracurricular activities are often exposed to other kids with a positive attitude about school, often leading to an improved commitment to learning and a more beneficial peer group. Try to schedule classes and activities where your child already has a friend, or with kids the same age, and where she can interact with her peers more actively than in school.

    Physical

    • After sitting at a desk most of the day, many kids will be enticed by the thought of having some running around time, even if they are tired from the long school day. Choose My Plate, the U.S. Department of Agriculture program that issues recommendations for nutrition and exercise, advises that school-age children should get at least 60 minutes of physical activity three times a week. Offer activities where kids can move around and get some exercise, such as dance class, soccer or track, and they will be more motivated to get there outside of school hours. While the child is excited to get to her activity, you can also be happy that your child is getting the exercise she needs to be healthy.

    Scheduling

    • Some kids might be too tired or have too much homework after school to enjoy a weekday activity. While some activities, such as school sports teams and school music groups, often practice exclusively on weekdays after school, many other options, such as dance and art classes and club sports, are offered on the weekends, too. Decide what works best for your chauffeuring schedule and then talk to your child about what she would prefer. Some kids won't want to interrupt their relaxed weekend mornings, while others will be more motivated for an activity outside of school if it takes place on another day entirely than school.

    Choice

    • Children who enjoy their activities and, most importantly, were allowed to choose their activities, will be more motivated to get there. Maureen Weiss, a researcher at the University of Oregon, points out in a 2005 article at PsychologyToday.com that extracurricular activities generally promote increased self-confidence and better school performance, but that too many extracurricular activities can be overwhelming. Let your child choose the activities she loves that also fit into your schedule and your budget, but also let her choose to have unscheduled and relaxing time outside of school hours.

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