It is unfortunate that many parents want their children to excel in academics only and forget about other activities that make their children happy. Such parents force their children to spend many hours reading books so that they can get good grades in school. Some schools have the same mentality of keeping students in the classroom for long hours at the expense of extracurricular activities. Having such a mentality is wrong because children need to engage in activities that would help them develop in all spheres of life.
The following are reasons why parents and teachers should allow children to participate in extracurricular activities.
Socializing the children
When children are away from class, they tend to have more freedom to socialize with each other compared to when they are in the four corners of their classroom. Activities such as sports and performing arts offer the children an opportunity to interact with the other children and build a strong character. Many of the activities children build outside the classroom require good communication skills that are very important in the social development of the child.
Developing talent
Not all the children are academically endowed. Forcing all children to pursue a white-collar career by focusing on academics only is ill advised. Some children excel in other areas away from academics where they can have an opportunity of building a promising career. Therefore, the importance of extracurricular activities for children is that it allows them to develop their talents early enough.
By the time they reach adulthood, they have mastered their respective talents in sports or the arts. In fact, today, the talented professionals in fields such as sports and entertainment earn more than the white collar professionals.
Helps in physical development
Most of the extracurricular activities require the kids to engage in physical activities that help them have healthy bodies. Spending long hours in class is not the best thing for children. They require time to play, move around, and travel. When children participate in sports, hiking, and general play, they develop good bodies, both physically and mentally.
Conclusion
From the above few points, the importance of extracurricular activities for children is quite clear. Parents and teachers who only value academics should reconsider their attitude towards extracurricular activities. In fact, most of the modern schools have a balanced curriculum that assesses the ability of a child to take part in both class work and non-class work. It is through such that the society can have people who are all rounded. The perception that success comes through academics only is misguided.
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