After-school, also known as extracurricular, activities can be really helpful for your child as long as you choose them carefully and with regard to what your child needs. They are fun and, what is more, they can be quite beneficial for the social skills and the academic performance of children.
Maybe one of the most popular after-school activities is sport and there are many reasons for that. First, team sports such as football and hip-hop dancing encourage different people working together for a common goal. By participating in such sports, your child will learn to cooperate with others and it will also be good for their social skills. However, if your child needs to burn off energy or needs to more physically active but does not want to participate in team sports, maybe an activity such as karate is more appropriate for them. This may also boost your child’s confidence which will make them a better performer in every sphere of their life. A very popular in Dubai team activity for middle-school kids is the dance group of Sharmila at the Dubai Community Theater.
If you see that your child is doodling a lot, you may suggest an art activity. Maybe your child will turn out be a talented artist, maybe not. Either way, the lessons will improve their concentration and visual-learning skills, which may lead to further academic advantage in the classroom.
Another option for the after-school activities of your child is tutoring. This is for children who have problems with particular subjects and, more often than not, it is dismissed as a tedious activity. However, it is not necessary for tutoring to be boring and tiresome. Just find a tutor who can explain things in a simple and funny way and it may be very beneficial for your child. When children find a way to deal with a challenge this improves their self-esteem and they become more socially active. In this way academic achievements have a huge impact on the social skills of your child. For some children tutoring is what sport is for others.
In the end, I want to draw your attention to one very important rule – never push too hard. Let your child choose the activity they are interested in and make sure they stick to it. If your child does not want to participate in any activities don’t force them because it may make them miserable and will influence badly their self-esteem.
