I can not believe that I have last blogged on Feb 5...time just flys by when you have children. Hope that everyone had a super Valentine's Day. Our family usually just celebrates this holiday with homemade cards that are mushy and a steak dinner. No big thing. Well lets see we went to my niece's birthday...hard to believe she is 9 years old already. Like I said time flys! The cousins always look forward to getting together. All the kids have been busy in their sports: Kevin still is playing indoor soccer; Hannah is getting ready for her Meet on March 2nd (hopefully she will qualify for Nationals missed it by l point last time); and Sarah Jane is starting soccer in April also. It should be fun running around to soccer games and gymnastic meets this spring! Plus my sisters kids: Taylor, Andrew, Connor, Ryan, Peyton, Megan, and Erin are doing sports to this spring-- ice hockey, soccer, laccross--we try to see a couple of each their games too...but sometimes schedules overlap and you just can't do it....which brings me to the question of: We as parents do we let our children get to involved with extra activities?? (yes comments are welcome) Craig and I are very firm believers that you should pick one sport and excell in it...which our children have done very well with. However I am so amazed at how other people let their children do 2 or 3 sports a season and then wonder why their children are so tired and burned out--plus the parents are so burned out driving them everywhere--not to mention the price of gas! Helloooooo...boy could it be that they are doing too much???? especially while they are in school and have all that business of homework, friends, etc. Sometimes I think we push our children to be involved in too much--kids need down time too...even church activities falls in this. Yes I am sure that I will get some comments in that area but that is okay. We here at the Waterman Household think that we do not have to go to every church function that comes down the line. We obviously are a Christ-centered family, but sports also is a big part of our family life--our children are witnessing to other kids alot of times that do not go to church or even know who Jesus is. So many people think that we have to go to all the church functions ( which don't get me wrong are important) and do everything with the church family...I guess I am getting fed up with some of our church people telling us that we should come to more activities and "make" our children go to more youth activities. I tell them flat out that I think they should mind their own business and worry about how they are serving Christ in their own families. I know that sounds harden but I am frankly getting tired of who's who and what they are doing in the church. We are serving Christ by having people see our actions out on the sports fields even if we are just watching the games and talking to other parents--they see our actions. We are suppose to be the salt of the world--what better place to do it but in the world--not hiding behind the church doors--now don't get me wrong it is very important to go to church and worship and get fed with God's word...but then use that to His glory. So many people today think well if I go to church and all the church nites I am doing good and will get to heaven....however when they are not in church during the week they don't witness to that person in the shopping center or parking lot. Now folks I am not one of those Jesus Freaks that stand on the corner and preach to everyone; however I am one that thinks sometimes if you force your children to go to every youth group function or church service/activity--sometimes then it affects your family in a negative way. For example: if your childen see that you are involved with alot of children activities at church and putting your family's homelife on hold and not getting things done at the homefront--your family life will suffer. I don't know about anybody else but God wants us to put our family first before the church family--and so many do it the opposite way. Well guess I went on a roll here...sorry about that to anyone that is affended by this subject...but then it is a free-willed world and you don't have to read my blog either. Hope that everyone has a good week and I will promise to be more on top of updating my blog better.
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3 comments:
Hi Donna!
About your question, I think for children too many extra activities could be very burdensome. But it really depends on that child and how much he/she wants to do all of them.
If I were a parent, I would want my children to be exposed to different kinds of sports and different kinds of art activities. Like you did, I would tell them it would be very good if they excell in one thing they like at least. I would never push them to do any of them, because I know that they WILL want to engage in them after seeing others doing it and how enjoyable these activities or sports are. If they finally decide to do something, then, I would support them to continue with it (unless they want to quit for good reasons).
I also know that lots of children copy their parents. I know that after being exposed to so much tennis, my children may want to play it too :) If they want to play something else, then I will copy them and learn their sport :)
About your thoughts about church, etc. For me, if you're trying to be a good person, good parent, if you love others, and have inner peace, that is what matters. Whether you do this by going to church, or by doing other things.
Some people think that, because they can get inner peace from church activities, they suggest you to go there too, they have good intentions. But everyone has their own unique ways and we should respect each others' ways of being a good and happy person.
DB
What ever happened to the Girl Scout and Boy Scout programs? Yes, I think you are way too involved in sports. Sports only do NOT give children a well rounded life. Church activities PLUS school activities, sports, scouts, etc. seem to be the best way to go for a full life of activities, especially when you have more than one child like you do. You should know all about scouts since you were raised with a "leader mother". Don't burn yourself out!
response back to Anonymous:)
Well I don't think we are way too involved in sports...because each of children only does ONE sport each and does it all year round. Our son wants to be a Pro-Soccer Player after college, our middle daughter's goal is to become an elite gymnast and to be in the olympics and our youngest daughter is well just too young to know what her life's dreams are yet. My husband and I do not feel that these goals and dreams are far fetched--anything is possible--especially if they put their minds to it. As far as scouts...that route is fine for children if they have the passion for hiking, community service, etc...and whatever scouts has to offer these days. On that note: I don't feel that the girl scouts should be handing out condoms at their national functions--happened in Texas one year.) Me personally I always hated going to girl scouts when I got older and never went past my first junior year and my mom who was a leader finally realized that I did not share her love of scouts. My mom grew up and loved scouts...it was her passion in life. The scout avenues are not my children's passions in their lives and therefore we don't make them join. If they wanted to join a scout program that would be okay--however that would be there sport/activity that they chose. (Plus I would tell them that they would have to join the camp fire girls which is a christian "girl scouts") We have 3 children and they chose one thing to excel in. Craig and I feel that our children are very well rounded in their lives and have goals they set for themselves and hopefully they will one day meet those
goals/dreams...or maybe they will change them down the years--but that will be their choice. As far as church activities we will continue to do what is best for our family and to be frank about it we really don't care what other families do or say about our family. In fact many of our friends are very involved in their churches and they even homeschool their children and believe it or not their children are no more well-rounded then our own 3. Like I always say people are entitled to their options and freedom of speech and thought...Bottom line when I asked the ? of do parents let their children do to many activities at once is many children now a days are doing too much...for example they have school, then Billy comes home and has soccer practice, paino, boy scouts, church wed night, homework in the car, eat a meal etc...the children become burned out by Sat. because all they did was run from one activity to the next--and when you times that by 2 or more childen then the parents are just running around too. If the children are only doing one activity all year round then yes parents still have a schedule of running them all over but the schedule becomes routine and they also have down time. Just my thoughts...but thanks for your comments and they are always welcomed here at the watermantimes5 blog.
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