Way back when I was a child, my parents didn’t discuss the relative merits of various enrichment programs. In that regard, they were typical of most 1970′s parents who practiced benign neglect, turning kids out to play until dinner time.
At the time, I was incredibly envious of a friend who took piano lessons. I begged, and begged, but my parents never signed me up for lessons. I ended up learning how to play a couple of songs on my friend’s piano, but I never learned how to go beyond Hot Cross Buns. Throughout my childhood, I was signed up for only two enrichment programs: Saturday morning Argentinean school where my aunt taught; and a skating class the summer I stayed with my cousins.
Contrast this with my two children who – just this year – are enrolled in: fencing, riding, harp lessons, ski team,book clubs, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, Lego League, and Math Counts. Some of these activities are part of our homeschool day schedule, but it doesn’t include short-term enrichment classes. And it doesn’t reflect all the requests that were denied, or opportunities that were ignored.
Nowadays, most American parents are juggling several enrichment programs throughout the week, and struggling to keep up with it all. Even those of us who labor mightily to limit enrichment activities, hoping to keep them manageable; still find that each week brings new opportunities, new stresses, and new reasons to say, “NO!”
What Is Enrichment?
Enrichment is a common term, but I’m not sure that everyone agrees on a definition.
In the school setting, enrichment programs are one way to provide services to gifted and talented students, while benefiting all students. Enrichment is thus defined as:
- staying with a theme, subject or skill and developing it in depth;
- ‘rounding out’ the basic curriculum subjects with a wider context;
- relating learning to new areas;
- and/or providing pupils with experiences outside the ‘regular’ curriculum
(breadth).
In the home setting, I define enrichment as opportunities to explore interests and passions that fuel learning, with the added benefit that these interests could lead to life-long endeavors.
What Kinds of Enrichment Programs Are There?
The extent and variety of enrichment programs vary by location. Here in suburban Upstate New York, some of the most popular enrichment programs are: sports teams, dance class, gymnastics, acting, martial arts, and music lessons. Many children also join Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, or 4H. Additionally, there is also a good selection of less common enrichment activities from science and robotics to Irish bodhrán.
When we lived in southern California, I also found many enrichment options for babies through preschoolers, including Mommy and Me classes in a wide variety of settings. There are some in our area, of course, but not to that extent.
Obviously, population density, climate, and culture will all factor into the availability of enrichment programs.
Why Enroll Kids In Enrichment Programs?
There are many different reasons for signing children up for enrichment programs. Some reasons that I’ve heard:
- It will help get my child into college.
- She really likes ________ (fill in the blank.)
- It’s a stress relief.
- She needs the exercise.
- This will help her be a well-rounded individual.
- This will help her excel in _______ (fill in the blank.)
- This is what I did when I was her age.
- I didn’t get to do this when I was her age, and I want her to have the opportunities that I didn’t have.
All of these, and many more, are all good reasons to encourage children to try enrichment programs. The conflicts that I see come with trying to find balance. Too much of a good thing, is just too much.
Balancing Enrichment Activities and Family Life
In our family, we’ve often ended up stressed trying to balance what at first glance doesn’t seem like a lot of outside commitments. However, with two children who are each signed up for at least two activities, there is hardly a single night when my husband and I don’t have to chauffeur them to something. Afterwards, we still have to make sure there is time for completing school work and other chores. This leaves very little opportunity for the elusive family time.
Despite the drawbacks, I’m still a big advocate of enrichment activities. I think that they should be an important part of a child’s life (and even an adult’s) as they:
- motivate learning and achievement
- provide opportunities for recognition
- are a way to discover and pursue interests
- can be used as incentives to persuade students to do work that they wouldn’t otherwise do
- build skills and talents
- promote self-confidence built on success in areas of interest
Enrichment On The Journey Mom
In The Journey Mom, I write about certain kinds of enrichment activities: digital learning, service learning, and travel learning. I get very excited when I find new activities, technology, ideas, experiments, service projects, or places to explore. And, I love to share these discoveries with others, because although we do not have time to do it all right now, this is one way to keep a record so that I can find these when we’re ready to try them. If I’m lucky, I’ll also get feedback that may enhance the endeavor.
Let me be clear, too much enrichment is too much. Hopefully, we’ll each have a full lifetime to try every activity that interests us, and there will be time to balance family and community with our individual desires.
I believe that it is possible to balance family life and enrichment; and in fact, enrichment activities can enhance family life.
Now, I’m not going to suggest that I’ve got this figured out. Quite the opposite. However, I hope that by writing about my experience, you won’t make the same mistakes that I have made. And, perhaps, we’ll learn what does work from each other.
“Enthusiasm is the match that lights the candle of achievement.” ~ William Arthur Boyd
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