Keeping children motivated

Initial enthusiasm in after school activities tends to wane after the
first excitement is over. This is but natural. The trick is to keep up the
hard work even after this. How do you keep your child motivated? This is
of particular importance when the child goes in for educational after
school programs.

Make the career-academics connection early on:
Let your child understand how important studies are. Let him know that
an excellent career is wholly dependent on wholesome learning. To develop
his interest in studies, plan family activities that are connected with
his studies. Emphasize the real-world connection to academics whenever
possible.

Set goals:
Let your child know, through example, that hard work will be rewarded. If
your child believes that achievement is a natural by-product of effort, he
is more likely to put in hard work. Such children are also less likely to
drop out of programs and college at a later stage.

Reward success:
When a child achieves something, it is necessary to praise his hard work.
Positive reinforcements enhance confidence and increase self-esteem.
Conversely, beware of criticism. It can ruin the frail ego of children and
play havoc with their minds.

Reading activities

In a world that is slowly but surely turning away from books and getting
glued to monitors or television screens, the importance of developing a
passion for reading cannot be overlooked. Reading is a habit and should be
established when the child is relatively young. What can you do to foster
this habit?

Enroll your child for reading classes:
There are many well structured after school reading classes that aim to
draw the children to books. They help kids with diction, idioms and
phrases. For young children, these classes can be fun with animated
characters and pictures. Illustrated picture books, rhymes, silly songs
and pretend stories all attract the young child. Use creativity to capture
the child's vivid imagination.

Pique your child's interest:
If your child has a favorite character, pick a series of books that
features this character. For my son, it was Spiderman. Thanks to friendly
neighborhood spidey, my son latched on to comics fairly early in his
childhood.

Build a home-library:
A skill like reading cannot be learnt in isolation. Do not leave all the
hard work to the after school program. Pick up books that you think your
child will like. The Internet is also a rich resource of reading games
that will attract little children to the fine art of reading.

A home-based after school program

So, your son's school does not offer any extracurricular activities. You
are worried of depriving your child of all that extra knowledge and fun.
What should you do?

After school activities need not be taught in a school-like environment by
professional teachers in a structured and timely manner. There is a lot
YOU can do to support your child's academic, physical and social
development. Do not be too concerned about formal programs, as many of our
children are already over-scheduled.

Obviously, school is top priority for children. They need to go to school,
and finish their homework. They should then do their daily reading or
writing work etc. This may take about 30-60 minutes. In the course of his
daily work, your child may develop certain academic preferences and
interests. In that case, you can try and find a program in a college or a
community center that will help him and encourage him. In the age of the
Internet, information is really not a rarity. Allow him to use the net to
find more information about thing that he likes. Encouraging the child to
do independent research to gain in-depth knowledge is something that no
formal program does.

If you are concerned about the lack of social life, enroll him or her in a
club - a reading club maybe. Visit public libraries or even the theatre,
if your child is interested. It is not necessary for your child to make
friends with children his own age. A parent-child book club is another
interesting option. If you can round up a number of like-minded children
and their parents, you may well start your own after-school program.

When there is no organized group activity, look to your community. Many
children love to get involved in social problems. They get their first
real taste of suffering, charity and community help from such experiences.
Volunteering for clean-up sessions, adult education programs etc could be
a real eye-opener for your child. The lessons thus learnt are invaluable.

If physical activity or the lack of it is your major concern, enroll your
child for some dancing classes. If organized sports are impossible to get,
try to enroll her in a gym. She may find friends there and may take to the
treadmill.

Your child does not necessarily have to be a part of an organized group to
benefit from after-school activities. There are various avenues open in
front of you. Roping in the enthusiasm of your children in daily household
activities like cooking, cleaning etc can also provide them with a
refreshing extracurricular experience. Moreover, it will improve family
ties too.

How to find after school activities

Start off by making enquiries. Nothing can beat the power of information.
Approach the school authorities first. Find out if they are offering any
after school activities. Get a list of the various classes that are
available in your school. In case the school does not provide any
extracurricular activities for the child, approach your neighbors. Collect
information about any after school programs, the quality of the courses
taught and the timings etc. Also, check out some of the community
resources. These may include places of worship, community centers,
Museums, libraries, the YMCA, The Boys and Girls Club etc.

After you have colleted all the necessary information, discuss the various
options with your child. Find out what his interests are. The best way to
find out what is most suitable is to ask your child. When little children
are too small, you cannot completely rely on their feedback. In this case,
monitor the development of the child on a regular basis. If the child
shows excessive resistance to an activity, it may be necessary to look for
other options. Always consider your family's schedule when planning the
extracurricular activities. If it is difficult for you to chauffeur your
child, you may want to employ tutors at home or conduct some activity at
home itself.

Effective after school activities

When there are so many activities on offer, and each one looks as good as
the next, how do you gauge the worth and effectiveness of these
activities? Sure, you want an activity that junior enjoys. But, we really
cannot afford to waste time on pleasure for pleasure's sake, do we? There
needs to be a grain of gold somewhere in there. Given below is a list of
characteristics that any good after school activity must possess.

Clarity in objectives and goals is the first important thing. What does
the course offer? How does it propose to achieve the results? How many
kids make up a batch? Ask questions. After all, when you are dishing out
the dough, you really need to understand what you are getting in return.

A good after school activity will provide lots of opportunities for the
young to increase their level of understanding of complex concepts. This
is true of recreational activities too. Learning to pitch a ball, or dance
to a tune - regardless of the activity involved, the child should be
encouraged to grapple with and conquer new concepts. This not only keeps
boredom at bay by challenging the child, but also builds up his
self-confidence. Development of academic, personal and social skills is
one of the prime aims of an after school activity. As the skills develop,
the child's self-esteem also increases.

After school activities are all about boosting a child's sense of
competence. Good and effective after school activities promotes the
resilience of youth and encourages them to grow stronger, be it mentally,
emotionally or physically.

Safety is one of the first requirements of an after school activity. The
staff should be qualified, adequate and alert. Never put your child in a
program where safety is a matter of accident instead of a matter of
priority. The staff should be friendly and should have a positive
relationship with the child. Therefore, the program should have
professional and trained staff that loves to interact with children. The
program should maintain a cooperative and supportive attitude and a
structured environment. Participation and collaboration as opposed to
competition and antagonism must be encouraged.

Some programs involve the children in planning activities and making
decisions. Adults often forget to get the opinion of their children. By
giving the children an opportunity to voice their opinion, programs become
fun activities that children are motivated to participate in. Young people
thrive when they are listened to, respected and allowed to contribute
their mite.

Routine evaluations are an important part of after school programs. If the
child does not benefit from a class, don't waste time being
over-optimistic. Try something new.

You are now ready to look for the perfect after school activity for your
child. But don't let us forget that having fun is also an important part
of growing up. The child deserves a few hours of pure delight. Remember,
all work and no play, ……

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Need for after school activities

When children are literally up to their gills with the learning and sport
activities in school, it may seem superfluous to enroll them for after
school activities. In spite of this, after school programs are sprouting
up in large numbers and most of these are booked full. This shows that
there is a real need for after school activities.

The unavailability of parental supervision is the leading cause for the
surge in after school programs. It is seen that many children spend about
20-25 hours a week unsupervised and alone at home. And as the saying
goes, "An idle mind is a devil's workshop". Children who are left alone
to contend with too much free time invariably fall into the wrong
company. Drug abuse, alcohol, tobacco and crime come knocking at their
doors sooner rather than later. Parents enroll children to various after
school programs to keep them occupied in a productive manner. This way,
the kids are free to enjoy themselves in a supervised activity.

Crime is considered to be at its peak during the after school hours,
between 3- 4 p.m. During such a time, children need protection. Getting
the children together under one roof and encouraging them to participate
in a group activity is protection enough. It diverts the children from
ennui too.

Obesity is a matter of growing concern in this country. It is noticed
that more and more children are becoming couch potatoes. After school,
many of them relax on the sofa with packets of chips, cool drinks or
chocolates while they watch T.V. 30 % of the kids below the age of 19 are
considered overweight, and about 15% of these are obese. An after school
program ensures that the child shakes off his lethargy and keeps himself
busy. This also helps to reduce the child's fascination for T.V and
computer games.

After school activities that promote social awareness develop the
individual's sense of social responsibility. It is seen that these sorts
of programs not only keep kids out of trouble, but also help to produce
responsible citizens. To that extent, they are valuable building blocks
in a child's personality.

Times are changing and parents want their children to excel in academics
as well as in other activities. This may be a reflection of the parent's
unfulfilled desire to excel - a remnant from his own childhood. Whatever
the reason, parents today encourage their children to enroll themselves
in various programs and develop the various facets of their
individuality. Children too seem to be comfortable learning many things
at the same time, and gain satisfaction from this.

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