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c hildren?s interests and
activities
are as diverse as the
child
ren
themselves. just as the right activity can build a
child
?s self-esteem and provide hours of enjoyment, the wrong one can do just the opposite. so, how do you find the right sport, club, or music program for your
child
? this was the dilemma mark and susan benzel were in when their
child
ren
were younger. ?my kids weren?t gregarious about asking to participate in an activity,? says susan of her now 16-, 11-, and 10-year-olds. ?we exposed them to a variety of things i thought would be developmentally good for them, hoping they would find something they enjoyed.? kelli l. ewing, lpc, explains that exposing
child
ren
to a variety of
activities
is beneficial. ?parents should encourage their
child
ren
to participate in a wide range of after-school or extracurricular
activities
. it serves to enhance
child
hood social skills, exposes them to diversity, and more importantly, functions as a wonderful way to utilize many different parts of their growing brains.? while doing so, consider your
child
?s temperament. although it is important for
child
ren
to have a balance of active and quiet play, some
child
ren
are more inclined to physical
activities
; others would prefer to exercise their minds. this is the reason frank and betty calvetti signed up their son for soccer when he was five years old. ?angelo has always had such a high energy level that we thought moving up and down the soccer field would be a good fit,? says betty of her son. ?we had considered baseball, but thought the game moved too slowly for him.? another consideration is your
child
?s personality. is he more suited to group or individual
activities
? ?
child
ren
who partake in both individual and group
activities
derive the best of both worlds with these kinds of play. group
activities
encourage cohesiveness among its members, much like you might observe in the caring behaviors towards a
child
?s soccer or cheerleading team. individual
activities
allow time for a clearing of the a u g u s t 2 0 1 8 | b r p a r e n t s . c o m 5 3
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