On Open Afternoons

Growing up, my childhood looked very different than my kids’. We had basic cable, cell phones didn’t exist, and the only computers I saw were the Macintoshes used at school to play Oregon Trail. Before high school, sports were for fun and rarely consuming. Most of my best childhood memories were made outdoors, building forts and climbing trees and exploring the woods near out home.

While I know today’s world looks very different, teaching my children to love the outdoors has remained an important goal. So far encouraging this has been easy. Their favorite after school activities include building fairy gardens and forts, biking with their friends, and swinging from the ropes course in our backyard.

Yet to give them this time, we’ve had to opt out of many afterschool activities. This has led to many questions, especially when it comes to my son. Almost weekly, I’m asked what classes he’s doing. Each time I repeat the same. Nothing now. Maybe basketball in the winter. Little league in the spring.

This leads to recommendations. Of travel team soccer and indoor lacrosse lessons and fall baseball leagues. But the thought of those commitments scares me. Our open schedule means we can squeeze in afternoon fishing trips and walks to the beach. Do I want to give that up when my son is in kindergarten?

I’ve already seen this happening with my oldest. Her gymnastics team now eats up one weeknight and every Saturday. Yet even she is unscheduled compared to many.

Which often has me wondering. Am I hurting my kids by not signing them up for more? Will my son be behind in baseball by not playing fall ball or joining a travel team? I know it is a risk. Yet I also believe in creativity, and that is born not out of structure but boredom, by solving problems independently, by spending time outdoors. 

And so for now I’m standing strong. One sport per season. If they want. If not, they play outdoors. And if that means baseball doesn’t happen, there’s always fishing. My son’s already got casting pretty much down.