Extracurricular Activities: Counting the Cost

{Science Olympiad}

{AWANA Grand Prix}

{community soccer program}

Most parents try to give their children a wide variety of learning experiences. Sometimes, this includes extra curricular activities. Using a community group, a co-op, the church, or an outside organization to facilitate a different learning experience. These are great activities with numerous benefits. Yet, most of these activities cost something, even the 'free' ones. Some costs we have learned to count over the years include the following...

Counting the cost:

Monetary ~

• activity fee
• membership fee
• shoes and equipment
• uniforms
• team shirts/sweatshirts
• admission fees to competitions and tournaments
• fundraisers
• snacks, particularly snacks for the team if expected

Time ~

• frequency of practices and games
• schedule conflicts
• volunteer commitments (sometimes a child's participation in an activity is dependent on the parent's volunteering)

Vehicles ~

• gasoline
• tolls (if applicable)
• wear/tear on vehicle

Family ~

• other children (younger and older will be affected by a sibling's activity)
• dinner interruptions/delays
• home life

Only your family can decide what extracurricular activities work and don't work for your family.
Let us all choose wisely.