Cost/Benefit Analysis for Kids' Activities: Is This One Worth Your While? Find Out Here!

I've spoken to several moms lately who are trying to decide whether or not to sign their kids up for certain extracurricular activities. This is a perplexity that most parents deal with at one time or another.

Following are seven things that I've found helpful to consider when making such decisions.

1. Will the value of participating outweigh the time sacrifice that will need to be made to make it happen? I've read recently that "the cost of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it." Will you have time remaining in your schedule to be together as a family every week? Is there any downtime left for you and your child to diffuse and process the things of life?

2. Does the benefit that will be gained outweigh the cost financially for your family? We pay for our kids' piano lessons and sporting events. Yet when it comes to those things that require a greater financial investment such as dance and Taekwondo, our kids use their birthday and Christmas money to pay half. We have found that this not only eases our yearly financial burden but also encourages our children to be more thoughtful and intentional in regard to the activities they choose to participate in.

3. Is your child really interested? There are times we will find that our plans for our children do not align well with their interests and inclinations. Are you signing your child up for this because you want him to do it or because he wants to do it? If it is something that you consider important but that your child is resistant to, you will want to prayerfully consider whether or not requiring participation is a battle worth picking.

4. Is your child old enough for this activity? Will it enrich his life or will he even be able to process what's going on?

Have you ever seen kids standing around in the baseball field plucking leaves of grass or watching ants while they are supposed to be trying to catch a fly ball? Many parents mistakenly perceive this as a necessary step toward becoming an involved team player or worse, they think of their child as deficient in some way.

I totally disagree.

This kind of behavior tells me that a kid would be better off in his own yard with free reign to run, romp, and chart his own course for a while each day. For a child who needs time to diffuse, strict rules and regulations are more confining than they are beneficial. It pays to know your child well when considering these decisions.

5. Is this something that will suit your family well in this time and season? In our family, we do our best to accommodate the interests and desires of our children activity-wise but we will not allow the needs of an individual to trump the needs of our family unit.

For instance, if I had an older child wanting to participate in a time-consuming activity along with a toddler who was having difficulty adjusting to a newborn baby, we would be hesitant to commit to the activity. I would likely think that our time would be better spent in our home environment investing in family relationships than on the road for half the week.

Many would consider this an infringement on the rights of the older child. Yet I think our kids need to learn to be team players, in the field (when it applies) and in the home. They would do well to carry such values into adulthood.

6. If this isn't the best season in the life of your family for this, is it likely that the opportunity will arise again? It's a question worth asking. Most of what we consider urgent really isn't that at all.

7. Can you add this activity to your plate and that of your child and still function peacefully? Will participation fit fairly well into your schedule and be relatively easy to carry out...or do you already have so much on your "to-do list" that it might send you over the edge?

Remember, a kind, peaceful Mama is of far greater value than a stressed-out multi-tasking Mama. You know your limits. I believe it was Joyce Meyer who said (and I paraphrase), "If you can't do it with peace, then don't do it at all."

Time is a precious commodity and we all need to use it well. I hope this post has been an encouragement to you in that regard. Thanks for reading!

Making Changes

Newton's first law of motion says that an object in motion stays in motion and that an object at rest stays at rest.

We're technically objects aren't we?

I look around me and see people going everywhere but in reality, not going anywhere.

A friend of mine posted a status yesterday something like "Everybody wants to be different but nobody wants to change."

That's a profound statement, I think."

The difference in people who are always moving forward INSTEAD of moving sideways or bouncing in place is this.

They realize that they are here for something greater than stagnation AND that "life's a journey, not a destination." (And yes, of course I got that second part from an Aerosmith song.)

I'm writing about my own experience here not because it's the most worthy of emulation but because naturally, it's what I understand best.

Before I continue I want to say that I am not great or even good at many things. Yet when I decide that something is worthy of being a top priority in my life, I persist with it. So don't go out and look at my garden, okay. : )

Seriously though, I've had people say to me that they wish they were as strong spiritually as I am.
The truth is I'm not really THAT strong; I'm just persistent...in spiritual matters and physical ones.

In the summer of 2002 (12 years ago) I asked the Lord Jesus to come into my heart, forgive me of my sins, and to help me to begin walking a new life in Him. Since then I've spent time in His Word every morning with only a couple of exceptions.

I pray either a little or a lot every day.

I'm not gifted. I've just continued.

An area that I've had to make a priority is eating healthy. I was in a situation in which medicine wasn't helping and I could either wallow around feeling miserable, sick, and tired all the time or I could make a change.

I chose change.

For six and a half years, I've been eating a healthier, more balanced diet. It requires me to actually cook real food at most meals and to clean up in the kitchen more than I would otherwise.
I've stuck with it though. I want to be healthy and I want my children to be healthy. The benefits by far outweigh the costs.

So I've continued.

I won't bore you with other examples right now.

Yet the truth is that in this life everybody wants to be on top but few are wiling to put in the effort that it takes to get there.

Everybody wants the winning lottery ticket but few are willing to work hard to acquire wealth.

The truth is though that if it happens overnight, you're far less likely to gain and retain the full benefits of the spoil.

Like children's artwork, most of life is about the process.

Yet if we're too busy longing for the final product to do the day-to-day work that is required to get there, then we'll never reach our goal."

If you are moved by this, I encourage you to pray to God for wisdom and that He will make His priorities for your life your priorities for your life. Then continue to ask Him to do the same on a daily and hourly basis."

Whatever it is that you desire to attain, write it down, break it down into steps put on your overalls, and get to work.

Today is THE day.

Making Math Matter

As a mom of four kids, I'm all about streamlining or "killing two birds with one stone" as they say.

I've learned through my studies in school and from my own personal experience that children learn best when the content is applicable to their lives.

Additionally, as a teacher and lover of learning I'm always excited to discover ideas that integrate different disciplines and that can be used with multiple children at once.

I am excited to share my latest discovery of this kind!

I've found a way to integrate creativity, problem solving, computation, money math, a good work ethic, and greater attention to detail all at once. It's a... (drum roll please)

CANDY STORE!

Note that the kids will only be allowed to buy candy after lunch on days that they eat well. This is their normal time for candy. The main difference is that they will now have to earn it.

Sidenote...I would guess that some of you are befuddled by the fact that this proclaimed healthy mama gives her kids candy every day. The truth is that I feel it would be hypocritical not to. I drink iced coffee after lunch every day so when I get mine, they get theirs.

To earn money for candy, my children must exceed my normal chore expectations of them by...

-doing more than the bare minimum when cleaning their bedrooms and their afternoon cleaning assignments. They must complete their jobs excellently!
-vacuuming carpets without being asked.
-cleaning dirty spots on the walls with Magic Erasers.
-wiping off/cleaning the bathroom sink.

-leaving NO unfolded articles of clothing out on their assigned laundry days.

-washing EVERY dish they are capable of washing on their dish washing day.

You see, my children have been doing chores for a long time but it seems they have gotten slack; efficiency is lacking and I'm hoping this will kick it up a notch.

If a child accomplishes one of the tasks above, then he/she earns ten cents. We have cups set out on the kitchen table labeled with their names where they keep the money that they earn.

My kids (especially my 9 year old daughter) set up the candy store, sorting the candy and pricing the items.

What we consider a regular sized piece of candy costs ten cents. Larger candies OR those with artificial colors (which I discourage) cost twenty cents. They may not spend more than twenty cents per visit.

Today is our first day doing this so I can only share the benefits that I've seen so far...

-As I said, my daughter set up the store, honing her organizational skills, sorting and classifying items, and solving problems as she encountered them.
-My three year old helped his brother clean their room this morning and cleaned up the monster truck mess he made in my room.
-My six year old daughter has reviewed coin names and values and efficiently counted out her money to me when she made her purchase.
-My oldest son and my daughters cleaned their bedrooms completely this morning.

Though this has required little effort and input on my part, I am in anticipation of greater efficiency, less mess, and lots of learning.

If this is something that you might consider implementing in your home and you have questions that were not answered here, please ask.

Thanks for reading!