How Much Is Too Much Extracurricular Activities!

According to Stacy DeBroff, many extracurricular activities, especially those involving leadership, can boost academic achievement and personal confidence. School-sponsored or team activities that occur after school hours help bond your student to his/her peers. However, extracurricular activities should never interfere with your child's education. Even academically oriented activities must take a backseat to homework, reading, and studying. Below are some suggestions so that extracurricular activities don't interfere with school work:

1. Factor in homework as a significant component of your child's weekdays.

2. Set clear boundaries on the number of extracurricular in which your child is allowed to participate.

3. Homework nor family time should take backseat to extracurricular activities.

4. Make it clear to your child that school work take priority over anything else.

5. If you find your child is too busy or tired to finish homework on certain day or his teacher tells you your child seems sluggish, tired or unfocused in school, cut back on after-school activities.

6. In organized sports, a large number of volunteer coaches are working parents who hold weekday practices late in the afternoon or in the early evening hour. Make sure homework gets done right after school.

7. Talk to your child before deciding to end an activity and ask him/her for input about which activities to cut.

8. Keep in mind that recreation and activities can be as important as schoolwork. Don't cut everything but school out of your child's life, or your child might lose academic drive entirely.