11 Plus Exams Forum

I recently had a discussion recently about how frequently children should do an evening/weekend activity (eg. football, dancing etc) and what is considered too much (every evening?).

Also, what is the normal bedtime for a yr 5 child or Yr 6 child? And does this increase significantly when starting senior school.

Mine definitely do too much and I'm too embarrassed to say exactly what they do. I'm pretty sure though that come September DS is going to realise that he can't do everything. I would say that every evening is too much, but some children need more stimulation than others. Having said that, they could just play or help with the cooking.

I wouldn't worry how many they do if they enjoy it and it's not some kind of vice. It's amazing how parents can give such a false view of how much homework is done. At a superselective in West Kent I have heard parents say it averages 3 hours per night, and others at the same school (who I believe) say that it is half an hour to an hour per night (and that includes a parent whose child is out doing serious training at county level four evenings per week, quite a long journey from home, and whose child is in the top handful of their year group academically).

So I wouldn't worry. I do think however that if your child is of grammar standard, is just doing the bog standard number of bog standard GCSEs, and doesn't do some extras after school e.g. music, scouts, guides, sports, hobbies, interesting things with friends etc etc, then it's a shame. They've gots loads of time which they are not going to have half so much of once they're working, got family etc etc.

I agree with mystery, as long as they are coping with it and enjoying it then it doesn't matter.

What I want to know is how parents cope with kids doing lots of activities. I just want to get home sort the kids out with homework and dinner and then chill.

What I want to know is how parents cope with kids doing lots of activities. I just want to get home sort the kids out with homework and dinner and then chill.

I can't drive so I do the school-based ones and DH does everything else. Actually, that's not quite true as he does scouts and cubs too, both of which are at school. Come to think of it all I do is pick DD up from choir practice!

At last- someone else who can't drive! I was beginning to think I was the only one, I don't know any women (or men) who can't.

Definitely depends on the child. Because this is anonymous I will admit that my DD1 (year 5) does an afterschool club plus another activity on Mondays, has to come to her sister's swimming lesson on Tuesdays, does an activity on Wednesdays, we always have some out of school friends round to tea on Thursdays, Music lesson on Fridays (and until recently an activity as well), and all Sunday morning doing an activity.

She never goes to bed before 9pm, more usually 9.30pm although I confess it was 10pm tonight. She bounces out of bed at 6.30am and never appears tired.

However, she has friends that go to bed at 8pm and who are horribly tired at school the next day if they stay up later than 9pm.

Yes, I do think my DD does too much after school, but she thrives on it. Costs me a fortune though

"However, she has friends that go to bed at 8pm and who are horribly tired at school the next day if they stay up later than 9pm."

Thats my eldest son!

zorro wrote:At last- someone else who can't drive! I was beginning to think I was the only one, I don't know any women (or men) who can't.

My BF can't drive. She has three kids in three different schools & never seems to have any trouble finding people to drop off / collect her children. Seems a good idea to me!

My Yr 8 DD only has an after school activity about twice a week at the moment, but in the winter plays 3 sports & with training / matches can be out every night - sometimes until quite late. Although sometimes I wonder if it's "too much" I'd much rather she was doing active stuff than wasting time on facebook.

My DS - Yr 5 - does 3 after school activities & is sent to bed at 8.30pm. But he is often awake until 10pm & then can't get up in the morning

OK, if we are going to compare notes, since reception my DC has spent school nights as follows:

- friends one evening

- a uniformed organisation one evening

- an after school club another evening

- two evenings of paid for lessons in a physical activity (during reception this was 1.5 hours in one evening)

- group swimming lesson at weekend so as not to clog up a week night!

DC not tired, I am. I would prefer it if it was just spending time with neighbourhood friends most evenings, but it does not seem to work out like that round here, despite my best efforts. The programme will soon have to change to accommodate work and second child.