Families For Life | 5 tips to balance schoolwork and CCA

Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs) play an important role in your child’s holistic development, but juggling schoolwork, homework, and these co-curricular activities can feel overwhelming at first!

With a little time management, open communication, and an understanding of your child’s interests and natural rhythms, you can help your little one enjoy their CCA time while keeping schoolwork and family time in check. Here are five simple tips to support your child as they find their balance between school and CCAs!

#1 Focus on depth, not breadth

We want the best for our children, but it’s not easy to know what that looks like for our little ones! Sometimes, in trying to give our child every opportunity, we might encourage them to enrol in too many activities, leaving them feeling overwhelmed. Your child can gain more by focusing their time and energy on just one or two activities that truly interest them. Discuss with your child and get them involved in choosing an extracurricular activity or a CCA they feel excited about. You’ll also be helping them discover their interests and think about long-term goals.

#2 Create a schedule together

Schedules and routines can bring structure to your child’s life and help them make the school days feel more manageable. Try sitting down with your child at the end of every week and plan for the next week together! Start by listing out all their commitments, placing them in order of priority, and block them out across the week.

Using digital apps is a convenient way to create a schedule, but you can’t go wrong with a simple whiteboard to hang over their desk, especially if you’re concerned about limiting your child’s screen use.

#3 Learn some time management techniques

Making a planner isn’t too difficult – the tricky part is getting your child to stick to it. You can help your child discover strategies that work for them and adjust the schedule you created together to reflect their productivity style. For example, your child might be more productive at night. To accommodate this, you can schedule more rest time in the afternoons after they come home from school and block out study time at night.

#4 Don’t forget to schedule some rest and recreation!

While it’s crucial to set aside time for CCA and schoolwork, it’s just as important for your child to have time to play, rest, and spend time with family! Setting aside some breathing room in your child’s schedule can prevent them from experiencing burnout or getting overwhelmed by activities. For younger children, experiencing boredom can also help them develop creativity, explore self-expression, and foster independent thinking.

Do ensure that your child is getting enough sleep every night to help them feel rested and recharged the next day!

#5 Communicate with your child

Children don’t always tell us when they’re feeling stressed. Sometimes, they may not even know how to put those feelings into words. That’s why keeping communication open is important to ensure that you can be there for your child when they feel overwhelmed or stressed.

Try having regular check-ins and set aside some one-on-one bonding time to connect and build trust. When you understand how they’re really feeling, you can work together to adjust their schedule and help them balance school life and their CCAs in a way that feels manageable to them.

Starting a new CCA is an exciting new adventure for any child. With these tips, you can help your little one find a comfortable balance between school and CCA, so they can explore a new interest, catch up with family, and develop new skills!