4 Tips for Balancing School Work With Extracurricular Activities
4 Tips for Balancing School Work, Extracurricular Activities and Kumon
Whether it’s Little League, ballet lessons or the chess club, extracurricular activities provide kids with a way to stay active, make new friends and explore their interests. In fact, about 60 percent of children between 6 and 17 years old participate in at least one after-school extracurricular activity.
On average, children spend about five hours each week on extracurricular activities. Some can be particularly time-consuming, so parents often worry their children are under too much pressure.
Finding a balance is the key to success.
We first introduced you to Natasha back in 2014 when she was a finalist in Kumon’s Inspirational Student Success Story contest. Here’s a refresher on her impressive accolades:
- Member of the National Honor Society, Student Leadership Advisory Council and Student Government
- An accomplished pianist with six solo performances at Carnegie Hall
- Co-founded “Book-for-a-Cure,” an annual children’s hospital fundraiser
Natasha knows firsthand what it takes to balance extracurricular activities and school work. Below she shares a few tips your child may find helpful.
4 tips for balancing school work, extracurricular activities and Kumon
Be Picky About Extracurricular Activities.
Stay focused on a few extracurricular activities that you actually like. Don’t pick an activity just because it sounds cool or because all of your friends are doing it. If you genuinely enjoy the activity, you won’t be stressed balancing your time.
Develop A Schedule.
It’s important to plan your week ahead of time. Every Saturday, I sit down and make a schedule for the activities that I have in the coming week. This allows me to manage my time wisely between school-work, Kumon, piano practice, marching band and spending time with my friends.
Use Your Time Wisely.
Kumon has helped me to become a very organized person, which is an essential skill in order to be successful in life. I’ve learned that in order to do the activities that I love, I have to focus, be disciplined, preserve and plan ahead.
Never Give Up.
As Kumon students, we are learning topics years before they are taught in school. The topic may be hard to grasp at first, but once you understand the basics it will get easier. Always remember that Kumon will help you in the long run and school will become that much easier, allowing you to spend more time on the extracurricular activities that you love.