Kids Hobbies and Activities

[quote author="SoCal78" date=1252557722]Tmare - in Splashball, must the kids tread water the entire time?</blockquote>


Apparently so. Some people were under the impression that they would be standing in the water, from what I can tell, the most shallow parts of the pool are 5 feet, so there's no standing. The drills were up and back the width of the pool doing various things with and without the ball as well as some practice treading water (eggbeaters) and trying to hold the ball above their heads while treading water. The first practice didn't involve the actual game, just drills and skills. They had said that if there were any kids who needed them, they would provide floaties, but we didn't have anyone using them at our location. They broke the kids into age level groups so it wasn't too difficult for each age group, nevertheless, it was still pretty intense and challenging. I should know more after the next practice (tomorrow).
 
[quote author="tmare" date=1252561004][quote author="SoCal78" date=1252557722]Tmare - in Splashball, must the kids tread water the entire time?</blockquote>


Apparently so. Some people were under the impression that they would be standing in the water, from what I can tell, the most shallow parts of the pool are 5 feet, so there's no standing. The drills were up and back the width of the pool doing various things with and without the ball as well as some practice treading water (eggbeaters) and trying to hold the ball above their heads while treading water. The first practice didn't involve the actual game, just drills and skills. They had said that if there were any kids who needed them, they would provide floaties, but we didn't have anyone using them at our location. They broke the kids into age level groups so it wasn't too difficult for each age group, nevertheless, it was still pretty intense and challenging. I should know more after the next practice (tomorrow).</blockquote>


Treading water the whole time is a must. It is a skill that has to be drilled over and over again. During high school water polo, I remember having to hold weights over my head, carrying them across the pool without getting them wet, using just eggbeaters...it sounds cool in retrospect, but I remember hating it at that time ;)



Did the coach recommend you also keep your kid in swimming practice/lessons during the season? Did any of the kids wear goggles? Usually in water polo, goggles are not used, so long practices can lead to eye pain due to all that splashing of chlorinated water. I always kept some Visine handy for use after practice, just in case the coach gets carried away with the drills/scrimmage.
 
[quote author="TRock" date=1252581186][quote author="tmare" date=1252561004][quote author="SoCal78" date=1252557722]Tmare - in Splashball, must the kids tread water the entire time?</blockquote>


Apparently so. Some people were under the impression that they would be standing in the water, from what I can tell, the most shallow parts of the pool are 5 feet, so there's no standing. The drills were up and back the width of the pool doing various things with and without the ball as well as some practice treading water (eggbeaters) and trying to hold the ball above their heads while treading water. The first practice didn't involve the actual game, just drills and skills. They had said that if there were any kids who needed them, they would provide floaties, but we didn't have anyone using them at our location. They broke the kids into age level groups so it wasn't too difficult for each age group, nevertheless, it was still pretty intense and challenging. I should know more after the next practice (tomorrow).</blockquote>


Treading water the whole time is a must. It is a skill that has to be drilled over and over again. During high school water polo, I remember having to hold weights over my head, carrying them across the pool without getting them wet, using just eggbeaters...it sounds cool in retrospect, but I remember hating it at that time ;)



Did the coach recommend you also keep your kid in swimming practice/lessons during the season? Did any of the kids wear goggles? Usually in water polo, goggles are not used, so long practices can lead to eye pain due to all that splashing of chlorinated water. I always kept some Visine handy for use after practice, just in case the coach gets carried away with the drills/scrimmage.</blockquote>


We didn't have a lot of time to actually talk to the coach. The coach at Woolett is also the director of the whole program and he is great. Some kids wore goggles, my kid never wears them, he absolutely hates them (honestly, he has a strangely shaped head and I don't think they fit him very well, we've tried many, he's actually really cute though, I promise :cheese: ). I'm sure they would recommend that they continue swimming lessons though. I'm just so surprised that a 5 year old can be involved in something so intense, but I guess I'm learning that they can actually do it. Again, thanks to TRock for introducing us to this, we never would have known about it and it seems to be perfect for my son, we'll see as the season goes on.
 
[quote author="tmare" date=1252557453] This is the first activity that has truly challenged him. </blockquote>


If he can hit a pitched baseball consistently (and with power of course) and catch line drives I want him for my Spring baseball team! Those skills have challenged the heck out of the boys on my Fall roster... I could use another stud player.
 
[quote author="ipoplaya" date=1252655139][quote author="tmare" date=1252557453] This is the first activity that has truly challenged him. </blockquote>


If he can hit a pitched baseball consistently (and with power of course) and catch line drives I want him for my Spring baseball team! Those skills have challenged the heck out of the boys on my Fall roster... I could use another stud player.</blockquote> Between splashball, golf, piano and swimming, I think we're a bit busy for Fall Ball, but we'll be back in the Spring.



I don't think our coach was as intense as you, Ipo. He was in Tee-Ball but much preferred the coach pitch we did at the end of the season, we'll see how he catches the line drives this year, he was pretty good last year. I think the problem with baseball is that there is so much time to sit around, water polo is always active. It also helped that everyone was older, so he has to try to keep up.



BTW, no goggles in water polo but the splashball coach said they can wear them for now if they want to with the understanding that they won't wear them later.



Things were a bit more mellow today during the second practice because they were kicked out of their regular spot due to a water polo game, they were able to touch the ground, only swam a few laps and learned more about handling the ball. Woolett Center is extremely crowded, the coach made some comment about Irvine parents who didn't vote for a new Woodbridge pool, and the crowds at Woolett are the consequence.
 
Just a couple of random thoughts.



I was at Splashball practice in Irvine this week and I noticed some children at the outdoor showers with soap, shampoo and conditioner. They were frantically showering and I commented to one mother as I waited for my son in the locker room, "I guess it's probably nice that they don't have to take a bath when they get home". She responded, "She has piano lessons right after this". Then I thought, this poor 11 year old girl has school all day, she heads to the pool for swim team/swim lessons for an hour, showers and then heads to piano lessons, she gets home at 8:00pm (for probably the first time since breakfast) and THEN does her homework, goes to bed and starts the next day's activities which are probably just as busy. Whatever works, I guess, just seems a bit crazy to me. I guess SoCal has decided on one activity at a time, maybe it would be nice if some parents decided on just one activity per day.



Changing the topic, if anyone has a child interested in golf (my husband wants a partner, I simply will not do), Kindergolf has an excellent program for kids ages 2-7. My son has really enjoyed it, he won first place in a putting tournament and just graduated to the course for putting and chipping. The program emphasizes etiquette and rules, a nice focus. He attends one day a week and it only took 3 months for him to learn the skills to go to the course. They currently have only one site in the US (many overseas) in Fountain Valley, but I believe they intend to open franchises in So. County sometime soon. <a href="http://kindergolfusa.com">Website</a>
 
Why are all the hobbies and activities on this thread paid for supervised by adults classes? Don't kids collect rocks or bottlecaps, or draw for fun, or make stuff out of cardboard boxes anymore?

What are the kids going to do when they grow up and have free time ... and have no idea what they're supposed to do because there's no instructor telling them what to do?



[quote author="tmare" date=1252929717]Just a couple of random thoughts.



I was at Splashball practice in Irvine this week and I noticed some children at the outdoor showers with soap, shampoo and conditioner. They were frantically showering and I commented to one mother as I waited for my son in the locker room, "I guess it's probably nice that they don't have to take a bath when they get home". She responded, "She has piano lessons right after this". Then I thought, this poor 11 year old girl has school all day, she heads to the pool for swim team/swim lessons for an hour, showers and then heads to piano lessons, she gets home at 8:00pm (for probably the first time since breakfast) and THEN does her homework, goes to bed and starts the next day's activities which are probably just as busy. Whatever works, I guess, just seems a bit crazy to me. I guess SoCal has decided on one activity at a time, maybe it would be nice if some parents decided on just one activity per day.



Changing the topic, if anyone has a child interested in golf (my husband wants a partner, I simply will not do), Kindergolf has an excellent program for kids ages 2-7. My son has really enjoyed it, he won first place in a putting tournament and just graduated to the course for putting and chipping. The program emphasizes etiquette and rules, a nice focus. He attends one day a week and it only took 3 months for him to learn the skills to go to the course. They currently have only one site in the US (many overseas) in Fountain Valley, but I believe they intend to open franchises in So. County sometime soon. <a href="http://kindergolfusa.com">Website</a></blockquote>
 
I highly recommend the book "Unequal Childhoods: Class, Race, and Family Life" by Annette Lareau (http://www.amazon.com/Unequal-Childhoods-Class-Race-Family/dp/0520239504/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252989639&sr=8-1) for anyone interested in child rearing in the US. According to her study, being "over" scheduled is a middle-class phenomenon and mentality. The idea is to maximize every IQ point and social skill in preparation for the corporate work force. If you live in true middle-class neighborhood, you will see little or no kids randomly playing out in the street with other kids--this is not an option for my kids even if I wanted that for them. Most of the other kids on the street are also being "over" scheduled. All my kid's interactions with other kids will be through either scheduled activities or through the hard to schedule "play-dates." Such is life in the middle-class. Lareau describes several pluses and minuses to this kind of life; the most notable disadvantage being that middle-class kids complain of being "bored" when not engaged in an activity much much more often than working class kids, who have much more free time, yet do not complain of being "bored."



I was raised by working class mentality parents, meaning few or no organized activities, tons of free time to roam the neighborhood and other streets, just be home before dark. We would run in packs with the neighborhood kids, making up games with little or no supervision, playing with kids much older and younger than we were. It was fun growing up that way, but reflecting on what it was, I would not want my kids to have the same childhood. This kind of child rearing is still available in working class neighborhoods. You just have to go to certain parts of Santa Ana, poor Tustin, or the Inland Empire, where kids are plentiful on the streets. Lareau touches on the advantages of this type of childhood also. Reflecting on this, I still would not want my kids to be raised the way I was.



I'm still looking for the perfect blueprint, still not sure of what I'm doing.



[quote author="Anonymous" date=1252970857]Why are all the hobbies and activities on this thread paid for supervised by adults classes? Don't kids collect rocks or bottlecaps, or draw for fun, or make stuff out of cardboard boxes anymore?

What are the kids going to do when they grow up and have free time ... and have no idea what they're supposed to do because there's no instructor telling them what to do?



[quote author="tmare" date=1252929717]Just a couple of random thoughts.



I was at Splashball practice in Irvine this week and I noticed some children at the outdoor showers with soap, shampoo and conditioner. They were frantically showering and I commented to one mother as I waited for my son in the locker room, "I guess it's probably nice that they don't have to take a bath when they get home". She responded, "She has piano lessons right after this". Then I thought, this poor 11 year old girl has school all day, she heads to the pool for swim team/swim lessons for an hour, showers and then heads to piano lessons, she gets home at 8:00pm (for probably the first time since breakfast) and THEN does her homework, goes to bed and starts the next day's activities which are probably just as busy. Whatever works, I guess, just seems a bit crazy to me. I guess SoCal has decided on one activity at a time, maybe it would be nice if some parents decided on just one activity per day.



Changing the topic, if anyone has a child interested in golf (my husband wants a partner, I simply will not do), Kindergolf has an excellent program for kids ages 2-7. My son has really enjoyed it, he won first place in a putting tournament and just graduated to the course for putting and chipping. The program emphasizes etiquette and rules, a nice focus. He attends one day a week and it only took 3 months for him to learn the skills to go to the course. They currently have only one site in the US (many overseas) in Fountain Valley, but I believe they intend to open franchises in So. County sometime soon. <a href="http://kindergolfusa.com">Website</a></blockquote></blockquote>
 
This discussion is now finally getting to the heart of why I posted this thread. I'd have to say that I haven't worked out these issues, I appreciate hearing from those of you who are also trying to figure it all out.
 
As I commented before earlier in this thread... depending one what activity it is, sometimes it takes away from parent/child time since we don't have much time in the first place.



Sure... I can watch my kid being taught to swim for an hour... but we have more fun just splashing around in the pool together.



I guess I want to do things where I can be part of it too... not just as an observer.



And I also am a big believer in at home stuff... since we've been moving, we have an "imagination box" or two lying around... just need to be careful they don't get taped up in there... hehe.
 
[quote author="irvine_home_owner" date=1253064116]As I commented before earlier in this thread... depending one what activity it is, sometimes it takes away from parent/child time since we don't have much time in the first place.



Sure... I can watch my kid being taught to swim for an hour... but we have more fun just splashing around in the pool together.



I guess I want to do things where I can be part of it too... not just as an observer.



And I also am a big believer in at home stuff... since we've been moving, we have an "imagination box" or two lying around... just need to be careful they don't get taped up in there... hehe.</blockquote>


According to Lareau, this still fits in line with the middle-class mentality, the idea that you are actively cultivating or culturing your child regardless of whether your are watching them in a swim class, or whether you are showing them how to create funny bubbles in the pool. Your life is their life. Their daily problems are your daily problems. Your time is their time.



This is in direct opposition to the working class mentality where adult lives and children's lives are more separate. The idea here is to let them grow "naturally," let them play by themselves with their siblings, cousins, and many neighbors who are plentiful and present on a daily basis. They have their own games to create, needing no referees or adults to intervene in their little conflicts.



When I want my kids to get a taste of my working class mentality childhood, I just drop them off at my parents' house which has random relatives going in and out, cousins who are there periodically. The TV is on constantly. Junk food is plentiful. My parents let my son play with a REAL hand-axe so that he has an easier time digging in their messy backyard, filled with junk and vermin. He usually returns to us with small scratches and cuts (not from the axe though) due to his little climbing adventures in the backyard or events that my parents do not talk about. He is able to describe the numerous types of bugs he finds. My wife worries about the possible dangers, but to me it is worth the risk, as I was raised this way without serious injury. What are the odds? I am hoping low. He always talks about what a great time he has over there. Raising a child the working class way is a lot less time consuming for the parents than the middle class way.
 
[quote author="TRock" date=1253086452]

According to Lareau, this still fits in line with the middle-class mentality, the idea that you are actively cultivating or culturing your child regardless of whether your are watching them in a swim class, or whether you are showing them how to create funny bubbles in the pool. Your life is their life. Their daily problems are your daily problems. Your time is their time.

</blockquote>
Considering that they are in school 5 days a week while I'm at work... not much of my time is their time.

<blockquote>

This is in direct opposition to the working class mentality where adult lives and children's lives are more separate. The idea here is to let them grow "naturally," let them play by themselves with their siblings, cousins, and many neighbors who are plentiful and present on a daily basis. They have their own games to create, needing no referees or adults to intervene in their little conflicts.

</blockquote>
Isn't this what happens when they are at school. Sure there are teachers there, but during "free" time... it's mostly a jungle.

<blockquote>

When I want my kids to get a taste of my working class mentality childhood, I just drop them off at my parents' house which has random relatives going in and out, cousins who are there periodically. The TV is on constantly. Junk food is plentiful. My parents let my son play with a REAL hand-axe so that he has an easier time digging in their messy backyard, filled with junk and vermin. He usually returns to us with small scratches and cuts (not from the axe though) due to his little climbing adventures in the backyard or events that my parents do not talk about. He is able to describe the numerous types of bugs he finds. My wife worries about the possible dangers, but to me it is worth the risk, as I was raised this way without serious injury. What are the odds? I am hoping low. He always talks about what a great time he has over there. Raising a child the working class way is a lot less time consuming for the parents than the middle class way.</blockquote>
Sure... if you have relatives close by who would take them. I envy people who have in-laws who are very active in helping them out... unfortunately, our situation has very minimal in-law involvement so "working class" time isn't abundant. Plus, when we have the time, we want to be with the kids... not just schlep them off to someone else when we already do that during the week.
 
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