The book provides a detailed breakdown of hundreds of extracurricular activities, itemizing the cost, equipment, time commitment, opportunities for competition, and even the philosophies underlying each activity.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
Contents
Part I: Activity Mania
1 The Big Picture
The Demographics Say It All
Fear Underlying the Frenzy
Hard to Step Out of the Craze
Trickle-Down Theory: Children's Hectic Lives Reflect Our Own
What a Contrast to Our Childhood
Why the Activity Mania?
Impact of the Evolving Workforce and Working Moms • No One Home to Play With • It's Not Safe Out There • Cutbacks in Programs at Public Schools • Thinking Ahead to the Teenage Years
In a Culture of Overachievement, It's Hard to Keep Up with the Joneses
Parental Peer Pressure • Fear of Being an Inadequate Parent • The Push to Excel Starting in the Womb • Holding Your Child Back from Kindergarten
Looking Ahead: Thinking About College
Youth Sports and Activities Have Become Big Business
How This Book Can Help You Handle Activity Mania
2 How to Choose
Clarify What You Bring to the Table
Trying to Divine Your Child's Unique Potential • Wanting the Best for Your Child • Don't Relive Your Own Childhood • Your Child's Success as Reflected Glory on You • Valuing Your Child as a Human Being vs. a Human Doing • Back to the Basics: All About Having Fun
Deciding Among All the Tantalizing Possibilities
Think of Ages 4-10 as the Trial Years • Helping Your Child Find the Right Fit • Matching Activities to Your Child's Physique • The Role and Influence of Your Child's Friends • Pressure to Follow the "In-Crowd" • Fear Your Child Will Be Left Behind by Her Peers • How Young Is Too Young?
Who Does the Choosing?
Following Your Child's Lead • Prioritizing and Goal-Setting with Your Child • Insisting on Certain Non-Negotiable Activities
Limiting the Number of Simultaneous Activities
Your Child's Temperament and Energy Level • How Much Is Too Much? • Your Active Child Wants Even More Activities • Getting Your Resistant Child to Try Something New
Consider the Logistics
Using Your Family Calendar Strategically • Scheduling Strategies • Activity Bags and Equipment • Food, Drinks, and Snacks
Assessing an After-School Program
3 The Need for Downtime
The Value of Doing Nothing
Making Time for Unstructured Play
Dealing with Declarations of Boredom • How to Approach Downtime During Summer Months
Not Enough Downtime: Warning Signs of Stress and Burnout
Limiting TV and Electronics: Passivity Central
Establishing Family Rules • Computer and Electronic Games
Carving Out Time Together as a Family
The Erosion of the Family Dinner • Set Aside Family Time • Take Up Sports and Hobbies as a Family • Missing Games or Practices for Family Travel or Social Events • No Time for Religion • Preventing Family Burnout
Balancing Activities with Time for Homework
4 Ongoing Management
Sibling Strategies
Avoiding Comparisons Between Children • When Your Children Compete Head-to-Head • Twins or Multiples: Same Team? • Following in the Footsteps of a Sibling Star
Larger Families
Dealing with Your Child's Coach
Letting the Coaches Coach • Dealing with a Problematic Situation
Improving Your Skills as Spectator
Sideline Dos and Don'ts
5 Dealing with Difficult Issues
Supporting Your Child After a Game or Performance
What to Say After a Tough Loss • Keeping Winning in Perspective • Stress Effort, Not Performance • Don't Push Too Hard • Avoid Comparing Your Child to Her Peers
Dealing with a Bad Sport
When Your Child Wants to Quit
Uncover the Heart of the Matter • When Your Talented Child Wants to Quit • Dealing with Your Own Frustration
Addressing Reasons Your Child May Give for Quitting
Just Not having Fun • Feels Incompetent or Untalented • Feels Underchallenged or Bored • Struggling in the Opening Forays • Bad Fit with the Coach, Teacher, or Other Kids
Encouraging Your Child to Stick with It a While Longer
Making It a Family Policy Not to Quit
Times When Calling It Quits Makes Sense
The Process of Quitting Itself
Part II: Sports
6 General Sports Considerations
Ready for Organized Sports?
Specializing Early
Aiming for a College Scholarship to Defray Tuition • The Possibility of a Professional Sports Career • Starting Early Often Means Burning Out Early
Choosing Subjectively vs. Objectively Judged Sports
Team vs. Individual Sports
Recreational vs. Elite Teams
Recreational Teams • Playing Up with an Older Age Group • Travel, Select, or Elite Competitive Teams • Elite Team Tryouts
Bench Warming
What to Do When Your Child Hates Sports
Need for Physical Exercise: The Culture of Obesity
Obesity in Children: Why You Should Be Concerned • What's Causing the Increased Obesity? • Ways to Curtail Obesity in Your Child • Role Modeling: Be Physically Active Yourself
Considerations for Your Athletic Daughter
Title IX and Girls in Sports Today • Tips to Avoid Gender Stereotyping • Same-Sex vs. Coed Sports Teams • When Your Daughter Wants to Play on the Boys' Team • Girls Dropping Out of Sports Entirely Around Puberty
Sports for Your Special Needs Child
7 Choosing the Right Sport for Your Child
Kids Who Excel
General Sports Benefits
Physical Benefits of Exercise • Psychological and Emotional Benefits &3149; Social Benefits • Mental Benefits and Educational Success
Finding the Right Coach for Your Child
Volunteer Coaches • When You Have the Ability to Pick • Signs of Great Coaching • Telltale Signs of Poor Coaching
Evaluating a Teacher
Coaching Your Own Child
Making the Decision • Dealing with Other Parents
What to Look For in a Sports Program
Overall Safety and Injury Considerations
Proper Equipment • Preventing Heatstroke, Dehydration, and Frostbite • Overuse Injuries • Getting Ready for the Start of a New Season
Eating Disorders
Effects of Eating Disorders • What to Watch Out For • What to Do
Overall Cost Considerations
Budgeting Know-How • Buying Equipment • Ways to Save Money on Your Child's Sports Expenses
8 Guide to Specific Sports
9 Other Physical Activities
Strength Training
Yoga
10 Sports Resources
Part III: Art and Performing Arts
11 General Music Considerations
General Benefits
Encouraging Musical Interest in Your Child
Choosing a Musical Instrument
How to Choose • Physical Suitability, • Your Child's Preferences • It's Okay to Switch
Group Play in Orchestras and Bands
Renting vs. Buying an Instrument
General Cost Considerations • Types of Rental PlansInsurance • Rental vs. Purchase Cost
How to Choose a Music Teacher
Where Do I Begin the Search for a Teacher? • Interviewing a Prospective Teacher • Education and Involvement • Communicating with Your Child's Teacher
Getting Your Child to Practice
Creating the Ideal Practice Environment • Scheduling the Time • Making Practice Fun • Improving Technical Aspects and Measuring Progress
12 Guide to Specific Instruments
Piano
Brass and Woodwind
Bassoon • Clarinet • Flute • French Horn • Oboe • Recorder • Saxophone • Trombone • Trumpet • Tuba and Euphonium
Stringed Instruments
Cello • Double Bass • Guitar • Harp • Viola • Violin
Drums and Percussion Instruments
13 Voice Lessons and Group Singing
Overview
What to Expect in Voice Lessons
Why Your Child Doesn't Sound Perfect Yet • Helping with Practice • Helping Your Child Take Care of Her Voice
Chorus and Choir
What to Look for in a Voice Teacher 537 • Cost Considerations
14 Theater and the Performing Arts
Overview
Auditioning
Types of Performing Arts
Creative Drama and Improvisation (Improv) • Theater Arts • Musical Theater
15 Dance
Overview
Ballet
Other Popular Types of Dance
Ballroom Dancing • Hip-Hop • Irish Step Dancing • Jazz • Modern • Salsa/Latin Dance • Tap
16 Art
Overview
Popular Types of Art Class
Animation/Cartooning • Calligraphy • Ceramics, Pottery, and Wheel-Working • Painting and Drawing • Photography • Sculpture • Sewing, Quilting, and Needlework • Woodworking
17 Art and Performing Arts Resources
Music • Theatre • Dance • Art
Part IV: Intellectual and Community Activities
18 Intellectual
Chess
Foreign Language Study
Odyssey of the Mind
19 Troops and Groups
Girl Scouts
Boy Scouts
Camp Fire USA
4-H
20 Resources for Intellectual and Community Activities
Chess • Foreign Languages • Odyssey of The Mind • Troops and Groups
Part V: Conclusion
21 Final Thoughts
Remembering What Ultimately Counts
How Will This All Play Out? The Experimental Generation
What's to Be Done?
Selected Bibliography
Index
About the Author
