Outside of school children have lots of free time, far more than adults do at least. They have the time to explore who they are, find their passions, interests and what they are good at. This can be beneficial in forming their identity, developing confidence, and feeling secure and stable in who they are. It also means that they will have less time to spend idly on their mobile devices and will actually spend it doing something productive instead which is something that many parents struggle with.
This post is in collaboration with a girls’ prep school in London.
Time Management
There’s also the fact that it adds structure to their day. As they will have more responsibilities to fulfil, they will need to learn to prioritise their time and manage it effectively.
Making Friends
Going back to discovering themselves, they will be able to find friends with similar interests and aspirations as them. A sports club or any sort of extracurricular activity is a way that they can meet others and build their social skills.
Career Pathways
It can be hard for children to decide on what they want to do as they’re still learning about themselves. A hobby and exploring different activities can give them an insight and help them come to this conclusion sooner as they will know what they enjoy and where their strengths lie.
Transferable Skills and Employability
Whether their hobby is swimming or chess, there are transferable skills that they can pick up. Skills like problem solving and resilience which can help them in becoming more employable. There’s a lot that it says about them too. Future employers and colleges will see their determination and passion shine through.
These are just a few of the reasons as to why you should encourage your child to take up an extracurricular activity. What’s important to remember is that you should never force anything upon your child as not only will they hate it, but they won’t do well and benefit from it either. Take time to listen to your child and see what they’re passionate about to help them find something that they’d genuinely be interested in and is suited to them.
