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Aug 12, 2008 2:13 pm US/Central
Managing School, Extra Curricular Activities
Tips For Finding The Balance Between Academics, Work And Extra Curricular Activities
Dr. Donald Easton-Brooks, University of North Texas Professor
Children and school work are just a part of school. Don't forget about extra curricular activities. One expert says it takes a village to help find the balance between work and play.
Dr. Donald Easton-Brooks, a University of North Texas professor, has the following suggestions for families to keep order:
1. Plan for your child to be involved in no more than one activity outside of school. More than one activity is not good for the parents or the child.
-- Try to select activities or sports with short seasons.
-- Get an over understanding of extra curricula and school activities. This will help you anticipate possible conflicts in your schedule
-- If possible, plan work activities around practices and games.
Question: What is the purpose of planning?
Answer: To help parents reduce future problems that could occur when trying to balance school, work, and extra curricula.
2. Organization
-- Create a calendar of all activities related to school, work and extra curricula activities and post the calendar where everyone can see it.
-- The day before a practice or a game, help your child get their equipment ready. This will help you save time and stress.
-- Develop daily routes. This helps children and parents to stay on task.
-- Get enough sleep
Question: How much sleep is appropriate?
Answer: American Academy of Pediatrics suggest:
Children ages 3-5 need 10-12 hours of sleep each night.
Children ages 6-9 need 9-10 hours of sleep each night.
Children ages 10-12 need 9-10 hours of sleep each night.
Children ages 13-18 need 8-9 hours of sleep each night.
On practice days, children may go to bed later. To help children catch up with their sleep, you may want them to go to bed earlier on the nights there are no practices or games.
3. Get Help
-- Don't feel that you have to do everything on your own
-- Give everyone in the family roles. Everyone has a responsibility
-- Share practice and game responsibilities between parents
-- Get involved in carpools to and from activities
Question: What if you are in a one-parent household or one parent's job requires them to travel frequently.
Answer: Get to know other parents at your child's school or parents who are on the same team as your child. You maybe find others in your same situation.
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