Should I Enrol My Child in After-School Learning? Pros and Cons

After-school activities became popular today due to their social, academic, and emotional benefits. Many parents also allow their children to try new skills and movements through after-school programs. However, you might be wondering if it is really worth of bringing your kid in after-school care or if it might add extra burden to them.
Well, you are not alone. Parents are also balancing out things if they will enrol their children in extracurricular activities for kids or not. Some believe that they will just let their child play and sleep at home.
For any of the reasons above, this decision-making requires time to sit down and think of the advantages and disadvantages. Here are the pros and cons of enroling your children in school programs to guide you with this process.

Pros

#1 Kids will dig deeper.
Attending school might a little be challenging for kids. They need to jump from one subject to another subject. Moreover, it gives them tons of topics and information in one day. So, some kids could be having difficulty mastering a particular subject at once. 
In this case, your child can improve their learning in a single subject through an after-school class. It will help them dig more in-depth into the lessons using fun activities and exciting challenges. Moreover, it will also guide them to gain mastery of the subject or STEM-related skills (sciences, technology, engineering, and maths). As a result, it could also benefit their academic performance and grades. 
#2 Kids will acquire customised learning.
The traditional learning system has a standard teaching and learning process inside the classroom. But then, it is not totally suitable for every student. On the other hand, after-school programs have a personalised learning setup from which your child can benefit more. How?
Your child could enjoy a more interactive teacher and student relationship inside the classroom. The instructor will guide them better during the activities. Other than that, you and the teachers can also adjust the learning topic, skill, and subject depending on your child’s needs. Moreover, you may also choose the schedule you want for your child. 
In after-school classes, you have the freedom to choose the learning style, process, and schedule to cater to your child’s needs.
#3 Kids will receive specialised learning.
At school, your child must attend all subjects. But in an after-school class, your kids can just focus based on their most favourite or least favourite subject. They could choose the most interesting for them or even the subject harder for them to excel in.
For example, if your child loves robots, then they could enrol in robotics classes for kids. If they want sports, then you may allow them to select the sports they want to pursue. On the contrary, if your child needs extra help with math, you may register them for math tutoring. 
Through this, your kid will genuinely benefit from after-school learning as it focuses on the child’s needs and interests.
#4 Kids will encounter new learning styles.
Other than the traditional learning process, after-school care focuses on skill-based practise and mastery. It is not utilising intensive modules, books, or lectures. Instead, it highlights active and engaging activities with lab challenges and on-hand experimentation.
Besides that, after-school activities prioritise a child’s skill development and project accomplishments instead of comprehensive exams. Extracurricular activities for kids also cover kid’s positive participation and commitment rather than the academic grading system.
As a result, your child will increase their confidence, self-esteem, and resilience by appreciating their perseverance in the activities. Moreover, after-school programs cater to child’s emotional quotient and intellectual quotient. 
#5 Kids will become busy.
You might also want your child to spend more time learning instead of playing games all day. If you prefer this kind of activity for your child, you should let them join in after-school programs. 
In the program, your child will become busy after school. So instead of increasing your kid's risk to screen addiction or partying with other kids outside the school, your kid is safe inside the after-school learning centres and halls. 
So, extracurricular activities for kids will make their time more productive and worthwhile.

Cons

#1 Kids might become too busy.
Extracurricular activities for kids bring more tasks to children. In this case, you might refuse to give another plate to your child. So, you may now prefer to let them stay at home and enjoy their alone time resting or relaxing. 
Sometimes, due to numerous after-school activities, kids might get too busy with different programs. Therefore, it could give them more difficult times in learning and mastering skills. So, parents see after-school activities to be the last option.
#2 Kids will have more tasks for the day. 
After-school activities also cover the whole day schedule of the kid. It might exhaust them more from extensive learning at school. So, some parents are not willing for their children to experience new activities. Moreover, it also brings more time to travel from school to learning centres. 
#3 Kids and parents will spend more money.
Clubs and programs at school are sometimes free. However, most of the after-school programs demand paid plans and compensated learning opportunities. To save money, you might also keep your child from participating in these extracurricular activities for kids.
If you let them join in musical activities, you still need to buy instruments. If your child wants sports, you are responsible for purchasing them the sportswear and sports equipment. Sometimes, parents also want to purchase laptops for their kids for computer classes for kids.
#4 Kids might get more anxious and pressured.
Your child has assignments and homework from academic learning. Then, if they join in after-school activities, they still need to work on those tasks. Because of this, parents favour their children to have a relaxing time at home. As a result, the child will prevent acquiring additional stress or pressure on themselves.

Would you enrol your kid in after-school programs? 

It is actually your and your child’s choice. But it is your responsibility as parents to provide for the needs of your child. So, you will be the one to decide whether you will register them into different after-school programs like maths tutoring, language class, kids coding, robotics class for kids, or any other skill-based programs. 
However, you must always consider your child’s development today. Try asking yourself these questions:
● Could this after-school activity improve your child or not?● Would it make them enhance their personality and performances?● Furthermore, is this after-school program beneficial to your child at all?
If you answered yes to all, then you must not doubt the possible new learning opportunities for your child. 
One after-school care in Sydney, Australia, is the Skill Samurai. It offers incredible robotics, computers, and code learning for kids. It highlights coding classes for kids to improve their STEM skills and shape them as future star coders and software developers. 
As parents, you may encourage and help your child prepare for their future through after-school programs. But then, it is still your choice how to bring out the best in your kid. 
You may sign up and try the after school programs offered by Skill Samurai here.