Guess we did a lot but maybe not quite as much as younger parents. Our grandson is 16 now. DH and I have never been athletic so we don't take him skiing, but he has gone with school trips and with friends. We took him to the YMCA and watched him. I was an assistant soccer coach, which really only involved helping with paperwork, etc. We take our turn manning the concession stands for athletic events at school and working the spaghetti feeds for the football team, etc. He is very involved in athletics and we've gone to all of his football games, basketball games (including travel team and AAU), and track meets. We did take him to Disney World and actually loved it as much as he did and have taken him to the local amusement center. We found that most of the time we would bring a friend of his along and just supervise while they do the go-karts (but I love laser tag so I'll do that with him).

My GS is only 2.5, so the only place I take him for now is Sunday School & I have the occasional play date at my house with my goddaughter's little girls coming over to play. They are 3 & 5 and he loves playing with them. It's pretty exhausting, though! Oh, I like doing the Zoo when it's nice weather and we take him on outdoor adventures to places like parks. I think sometimes people OVERinvolve their youngsters in activities. I think you should concentrate on 1 or 2 activities at most. Perhaps keeping those activities tied as closely to school as possible will cut down on all of the running you have to do. For example, a sport being played at school usually means the child stays after school and you just pick them up later in the evening, or drama practice or choir practice or the debate team..........all activities that minimize the trips - unlike some sports like recreational/city soccer, T-ball, baseball, etc. I also like the YMCA programs because you might work out while the child does his/her activity. I think we just need to try and keep their activities in healthy boundaries so as not to overload ourselves or them.

amen if you feel like thats too much then its to much!My gd will be three sat Im just now starting paperowrk for early headstart,then maybe if we can afford it dance class,thats it im already tired just saying and typing this!lol,janese

During grade school, our gs was busy every night of the week with Marshal arts, boys dance company, religious ed, and soccer. I felt that keeping him busy w/keep him out of trouble. It was exhausting but he got a varied background of activities.

Missy was in chorus last year but didn't want to join this year so we didn't make her, this year she wants to be a girl scout so I finally found a troop that has room for her and she will be doing that.

She also has tutoring twice a week to help her catch up with what she lost last yr with the terrible teacher. On weekends we try to either go to a movie or out to dinner or just go walk our local outdoor mall with a coffee so that she has an outing.

Over the Christmas week we took her to the mountains for her first in her life sledding adventure and she had a ball! We try to do other things that are either free or low cost like local car shows, festivals or such events.

We are both 60 and not as energetic as we used to be but still try to give her as normal a life as she would have with younger parents.

my gs is 3. He goes to 3k 3 days a week 8 -1130. He has speech therapy 1 hour twice a week. We have just recently begun to add activities that I enjoyed takng my kids to. I bought a membership to the local museum, and my husband enjoyed going with us to a childrens museum . He was always working when my kids were younger so he missed the cool children museums and really enjoyed being a part of this. I just signed my gs up for soccer, which starts in the 20th.
I am definitely parenting here. reminds me, 1 yo gd needs shots so I better call tomorrow,

I agree with gmawilli, sometimes kids are involved in too much and don't have time to just be a kid I truly believe its not how much you do but what you do and your attitude while you are doing it..kids know if you don't want to be there.
Our gd is in soccer, thats it, one sport each season, her choice not ours. Rule is she starts it she has to finish it and we participate in any way we can, soccer grandpa, fundraising, whatever. We do school night every month with the PTO, its usually fun stuff for the kids with pizza for dinner (this month is Jonathan the Juggleer), we do church on wednesday nites and sometimes on sunday's, we play in the snow, play with dogs, and do 1 week of christian camp during the summer. She loves the beach, so no sports during the summer but beach trips OR theme park every other week, we live 3 hours from the beach and the theme park is about 1 1/2 hrs away. There are weeks she says I don't want to go anywhere lets stay home and have pajama day, so we do. Tire swing in back yard, tree house too. She helps in the garden, both veggie and flower and I think she has plenty to do. Compared to most kids she does nothing. My sisters kids have dance on monday, cheering on tues, church on wed, sports on thurs, friday nite skating and saturday at least one of things has something going on. the kids are 5 and 7 way way too much, they never get to just play, read or cuddle with mom and dad.
Do what your heart tells you is right and you cant go wrong

I like to keep busy myself so I guess I just followed through and kept him busy too. I w/say that we did a lot of simple things but made each an adventure from going to the firehouse to see the firetruck or going to the zoo. He was thrilled when we bought family passes to the zoo and could go any time he wanted. We took him to Gettysberg PA when he was going to be studying civil war in the fall. We took him out west to see Indian reservations when he was going to be studying that. We did not spend a lot of money but made some wonderful memories. So, I don't think it's how much or how often but the quality of the time you spend with them. We took our last family vacation when he was 17 and went to watch a rocket blast off at the Kennedy Center. Did not go to one amusement park, just enjoyed rest, the beach, and just getting away. As everyone has said, do what you feel is right for you. It's the interaction with them that counts.

I dont think just cause people are young is the reason they get involved in so much. To me it is a societal thing. We are all so competitive and little Johnny and little Susie have be to the best at everything, and the parents have to be there making sure that the whole world sees how successful they are and how well taken care of their kids are. I take one activity at a time and when the GD gets older she can decide what she wants to be involved with, but to me academics are the most important. Things like soccer, cheerleading, swimming, whatever the activity is it should be fun, not competitive. How much fun are they having if they are going going going and they are expected to be the best at everything all the time?

I am once again very involved with the classroom, field trips, volunteering for science fair, open house and back to school nites. I am also once again a card carrying member of the PTA which is something I thought I would never do again!!

I did all this with my sons as well as being involved with Boy Scouts, little league and basketball not because I wanted them to be the best or have some kind of status symbol but because I felt it was the kind of mother I wanted to be. Another reason with my sons was that very few mothers volunteered for room mother duty so those of us that would were willing to be involved were asked every year in one of our children's classes or the other.

This is quite a schedule to keep and I'm tired all the time but this little girl needs someone to be involved with her and her education, she just beams when I am there helping. Today we went on a field trip to see Cinderella at the local cultural center, even tho I was not supervising her in my group she was sooooo happy that I was there and with her class. If that is what it takes to put that huge smile on her face I will do it every time.

Bottom line.....everyone has to make this decision themselves and there is no right or wrong only what is right for our own personal situations. I do agree tho that having children do something every nite of the week is just toooooo much, they need some time to just be kids!!

Hey Lady, it is commendable that you can afford to do all that, but most people work fulltime. I know for myself after working all day all I have time for is to get home, cook dinner and get the GD a bath. She goes to bed early as she has to get up early. Not much time. Then on the weekends between cleaning the house and running errands, not much time left there either. I was able to cram in dancing lessons for a few months on Saturdays, but that can be expensive. This summer we are going for swimming lessons.

The younger parents (a) chose to have their kids and (b) are -- younger. They have the energy to run around to soccer games, music lessons, etc. etc. Their entire lives are happily centered on their kids.

At nearly 60 years old, we don't have that energy anymore. Life at our ages was supposed to be about slowing down and having TEMPORARY fun with grandchildren, then sending them home again.

WE'RE supposed to be the ones at the fitness center, in the hot tub, and the mall. Not the %^&$% who dumped them on us.

Sorry, I'm really in a mood today :-(

Yeah we are suppose to be taking golf lessons, playing bridge, having lunch and shopping with other ladies, not attending PTA meetings and soccer games; double ugh!

Now excuse me as I go read Go Dog Go for the 100th time, while watching a rerun of a rerun of a rerun of Dora the Explorer!!

Yeah, but have you spoken to those lunch ladies lately? They are boring. I am doing so much more than them!

shopping is never boring! ;)