Hi Anon,

I have always been of the belief that kids need to be kids and just be able to play, relax and enjoy growing up. When my son (now in college) was in elementary school, he was allowed one activity. And it wasn't until high school he asked to do more than one. As long as he kept his grades up, he kept adding things--first adding a high school sport and then adding college courses at the community college.

He's in college, and his sister is entering third grade, and she basically has two things: a musical instrument through school and her sport. I'd let her do more than that under the same conditions.

But I think it also depends on how much time YOU have, how many of the activities of your children overlap, and what you hope they get out of it. Some friends I have let their kids play several sports, but seasonally, so they go from basketball to baseball to soccer, or something like that. Perhaps you can find things through the park and rec dept that are short enough in season that you can let them try several before deciding to pursue any gung ho.

What specifically troubles you about their activities?

I think the answer is going to change family to family. I know more than one or two after school activities would be hard for me to pull off at this point because my husband and I both work full-time outside of the home.

If you're having a hard time deciding what to get your child involved in, perhaps sit down and make a list of the pros and cons of each activity and definitely bring your child into the decision making. You may find out that he/she ends up not liking a particular activity.

I found this article that might be helpful to you. It's called, "Finding Balance in Your Child's Life." Hope this helps!