They also are free again to participate in extracurricular activities and sports. It’s a welcomed shot in the arm, but it comes with a caveat: students who spread themselves too thin risk burnout. The result can mean difficulty sleeping, social withdrawal, and trouble with retention, among others. 

We’ve written about the impact of stress on learning, so it’s very important that students walk the line between busy and too busy. 

In this post, we discuss how to balance academics and extracurriculars. 

Across school districts in the U.S. last year, grades suffered. Students have the opportunity to recalibrate this year, which can mean prioritizing academics over extracurriculars. Now, this doesn’t mean the choice is binary; students can do both, though participating in fewer activities may be warranted. 

Students who plan their day consistently will have more success working toward their multiple goals without lagging in any regard. 

Amanda Houle, founder of Parenting with a Punch and host of the Parenting with a Punch podcast, recommends the following five guidelines that are quoted from Psychology Today:

Bedtime is the baseline of effective routines for children. Start the bedtime process by encouraging activities like choosing outfits for the next day or making lunch ahead of time.

It is important to set fixed times for getting homework completed. Use a “first/then” approach for starters. Take frequent breaks if necessary or divide homework time around subjects. These minor modifications can make a big difference.

Does your kid need thirty minutes or one hour to get ready in the morning? Create routines around breakfast and getting out the door so you don't have to rush.

Keep your word. If you say 5 minutes, mean it. Set a timer if that will help. The goal is to keep everyone on schedule and avoid last minute panic.

Some kids struggle with transitions or suffer from anxiety. Checklists are visual cues that reduce angst and keep kids on track.”

There seem to be a lot more activities today compared to earlier school generations. Outside of school, there are travel sports programs, volunteerism, religious activities, and the list goes on and on. 

While it’s very important to be involved, it’s also okay to encourage your child to be selective about what they pursue, focusing on that which really interests them. 

This is a big one, and we dedicated an entire blog post to it. We focused on developing these skills and then applying them to school work, but they can be used in conjunction with extracurriculars as well. 

The best part is that time management doesn’t exist in a vacuum--these skills evolve and certainly help prepare students for college and even the workforce following that. 

Your brain needs time to recover from all the work you put it through on any given day. This is especially true for children and adolescents, whose minds are undergoing constant growth and development.

There is research upon research that bears this out, like this article from The Sleep Foundation. 

Our individualized, in-home and virtual tutoring services allow students to develop better study skills and habits, giving them more room to participate in clubs, sports, and activities. Contact us today at: bbalatsos@clubztutoring.com. You can also reach us at 847-440-3440 and by visiting clubztutoringnorthshore.com.