Q: How many extracurricular activities are OK for children in
second and fourth grades? My kids are those ages, and one wants
no activities, while another wants too many for my schedule.
Other parents seem to spend all their time ferrying kids from
dance to soccer. How much is enough? A: It is important to find
a balance in scheduling activities for your children, the Help
for Families panel says. Research shows that participating in
extracurricular activities can have many benefits for children,
but too many activities will increase your children's stress
level, panelist Denise Continenza warns. She says that today so
many kids are involved in structured sports and activities that
too often there are no kids around for free play. “Something is
happening to the utilization of free time,” agrees panelist
Rochelle Freedman. The key is letting your children decide what
they are interested in, says panelist Bill Vogler. “Some kids
thrive on activities, while others want to do just one thing.
And that's fine,” he