Struggling with balancing academics and extracurriculars

This is such a timely post. I'd love to hear your strategies! Our school is pushing for so many club activities after hours that my kid barely gets time to revise what was taught in class. Do you think it is worth pushing back against the school, or should we just find a way to manage?

Divya, honestly, don't overthink it. My daughter is in Grade 8 and we decided to cut down her swimming lessons to just weekends so she has enough energy for her coaching classes. Sometimes you just have to prioritize academics during exam months, and that is completely okay.

Thanks for sharing this, as a psychologist. Could you suggest how to handle the guilt? My son is very talented at football but his grades are slipping, and I feel like I am being a 'bad parent' by forcing him to skip practice for extra math classes. How do you find that balance without breaking their spirit?

Please share your tips! I have been struggling to manage my son's football coaching and his coaching centre classes. It feels like he is either always in a car or studying, and he has no time for himself. Any advice on how to schedule this better?

Hi, this is such a relatable post! My daughter is in 8th grade and we had to drop her piano classes because the school pressure for board prep became too much. Would love to hear your strategies, especially on how to handle the 'guilt' parents feel when kids have to quit a hobby they love.

Thanks for sharing. I suggest you try keeping weekends strictly for play, even if it means finishing school homework on Friday nights. It worked wonders for our son's stress levels.

I have seen this happen with my nephew too. We started using a strict Google Calendar for him that includes 'down time' and 'no-gadget time' clearly. It helps them visualize their week better so they don't feel like they are just moving from one task to the next without a break.

Very relatable. My son is in DPS and the homework load is already insane. We had to sit him down and ask him to pick just one passion to pursue seriously instead of four different hobbies. Once he dropped the rest, his stress levels went down significantly. Quality over quantity, I say.