Steemit Engagement Challenge / S16/W4 - "Children Vs Extracurricular Activities "
Steem greetings from the motherland Cameroon to all parents and to be parents in the Steemit ecosystem. It is yet another week of the challenge and this week 4, we are tasked to discuss the topic: "Children Vs Extracurricular Activities".
My discussion will focus on the guiding questions below and I hope you all find pleasure in reading through them and don't forget to give feedback in the comment section.
How can extracurricular activities help children's physical and mental growth?
Before diving into the question properly, permit me to share my thoughts about extracurricular activities. These are activities we engage our children in which are out of their regular school activities. This can be done at home or out of home. That is I can pay for my kids to learn to swim at a pool, join a dancing group, learn to cook, etc.
An extracurricular activity like swimming or dancing can boost the child's physical growth as it is a form of sports. It helps to relieve stress from your kids and relax muscles. Swimming also makes your child to be more flexible and a good way for them to cool down during hot weather conditions.
Dancing improves both physical and mental wellness in the sense that when the child engages in dancing, it allows them to express themselves freely. Dancing helps to release some hormones, for instance, dopamine, which kind of helps to relieve the child from anxiety and is also a good way to counter depression.
Do today's children like extracurricular activities, or are they forced to participate by their parents?
To respond to this question, I will focus on the cases of my kids. When it comes to extracurricular activities, my kids love it so much that I do not even need to force them into doing it.
Notwithstanding, I have seen situations where parents force their kids into doing some specific extracurricular activities. For instance, I saw a mother who constantly flocked her kids after they played soccer after school or even during holidays. She does not like soccer and because she is a trader, she prefers her kids to join her in doing the trade.
Each summer holiday, I ensure my kids are engaged in one or two extracurricular activities. My daughter loves working on the computer and playing games, so last summer I engaged her in coding. She loved it so much and she is so excited to go in again this coming summer holidays.
Is extracurricular activity necessary for children?
Of course, it is necessary for the child's development in the sense that it helps to reduce unstructured play time for kids during holidays. It kind of helps the kids to develop new skills and network with different people.
Extracurricular activities is so necessary for children as it helps to build leadership skills and make them become independent in life.
It also helps the children to build their self-confidence and improve their academic performance in school.
Which are the best extracurricular activities for today's children?
It all depends on your kid's choices. Remember it is not advisable to force your child to do what they do not like. Allow them to choose freely what they cherish or love to do best.
My kids, as I earlier mentioned, love playing games a lot and when I asked my daughter if she was interested in coding, she was so happy and I engaged her in coding.
My daughter also loves swimming but my son does not like to be around water. I cannot force him into swimming because he does not like it.
Therefore, I would rather say that as parents we should not force our kids into doing extracurricular activities they do not like. Try to figure out what they love doing and then you engage them into it. At this point, I have come to the end of my presentation, and I'm inviting @crismenia, @paholags, @m-fdo and @solaymann to share their ideas about the challenge.
I like your view on children engaging in extracurricular activities which you stated that the activity is necessary for their development and help in reducing unnecessary play habits during holiday period. Scanning through your article has helped me understand more about the impacts that extracurricular activities can bring to a child’s life.
Many success in the contest!
Thanks for highlighting the importance of extracurricular activities in children's lives!
This is was a good explanation!
Children love extracurricular activities so much that they would have preferred it to classroom activities. That mom that wont let her son play soccer lacks some necessary informations about extracurricular activities, she feels her son is wasting his time by not coming to help her, once she gain an understanding , she would allow that child participate in soccer.
I also feel that parents should help discover what their children enjoys doing and help them build up just like you did for your daughter. Good luck to you ma'am!
Your engagement in discussing the topic of children and extracurricular activities is truly commendable. Your insights are clear well-structured and grounded in personal experiences making them relatable and insightful for readers. Keep up the excellent contributions as they add depth and value to the discussions within the community. wishing you the best of luck in the contest.
Upvoted. Thank You for sending some of your rewards to @null. It will make Steem stronger.
In my experience, I've seen how engaging children in extracurricular activities like swimming or dancing can indeed have positive effects on their physical well-being. For instance, my niece struggled with low energy levels and confidence until she joined a dance class, where she blossomed into a more active and outgoing individual.
As a father, I've noticed that children are more likely to excel and enjoy activities they genuinely love. My son, for example, has a natural talent for painting, and I've always encouraged him to pursue it. Seeing him eagerly pick up his paintbrushes without any prompting reaffirms my belief in letting children follow their passions.
In my opinion, pushing children into activities they don't enjoy can do more harm than good. I've seen friends who were forced into sports or music lessons resenting their parents for it later in life. It's essential to respect children's interests and support them in exploring activities that genuinely bring them joy and fulfillment.
Good luck
Este tipo de actividad ayuda al desarrollo de los niños y sobre todo definil en que deporte sin buenos, para esto no es necesario practicar un deporte que los padres prefieran porque aqui quienes importan son los mas pequeños y sobre todo que tengan una buena comunicacion con todos.
Kegiatan ekstrakurikuler sangat penting untuk di terapkan dalam kehidupan anak-anak agar pertumbuhan mereka lebih berkembang dengan baik. Dan orang tua tidak memaksa ataupun membatasi anak-anaknya. Anda telah membagikan artikel yang sangat menarik, saya menikmati tulisan anda. Semoga sukses
Yes, I also recognize that there is a lot to learn outside the curriculum for kids. As you have highlighted the leadership qualities of talking to different people, interacting with people.
Also, thank you for your excellent presentation of each question. Wishing you success in the competition. Stay well stay healthy.