There are many benefits to enrolling your child in a class. From newborn to teens, it’s important to get your child involved in extracurricular activities. For example, music classes can help build your child’s communication skills and acting classes can help your child become a confident public speaker. Joining a sports activity can teach a child about teamwork and getting along with others, not to mention keep them active and healthy. Young children learn about being with other children and socialization. There are several important factors that a parent should think about before choosing a class for his/her child. Since we attend many classes throughout NYC, here are my 5 Tips on Choosing a Class For Your Child – a part of my parenting tips for kid’s series.
Parenting Tips for Kids – 5 Tips on Choosing a Class for Your Child
1. Find something your child is interested in. When looking for a class, your first step is to look for something that your child would be interested in. If you have a newborn, then look for a class that you would enjoy for bonding with your little one while also meeting new moms. It’s important to find something that you child will like because you want him/her to look forward to the classes every week. The more that the class interests him/her, the more likely he/she will become involved and dedicated to the class.
On KidzCentralStation.com, you can sign up for free trial classes to ‘test and try,’ before paying and committing to an entire semester of classes. Ask yourself: Does you kid interact well with the instructor? Were the other moms in the class fun and friendly? What the place clean and inviting?
If you DO love the class, don’t forget to come back and leave a review on our site so other moms like you looking can see how much you enjoyed it!
2. Ask friends for recommendations. Your friends and other moms are a great resource when looking for a new class for your child. Many of your friends are likely to have taken classes in your area, or have friends who have taken classes. Even striking up a conversation with other moms at your local playground is a good way to do some research. They are the people that can give you honest feedback and reviews on classes in your city. When it comes to moms, the word on the street is golden – don’t be afraid to ask!
3. Look online in your search. The internet is a great resource for finding just about anything you need, including classes. You can search many of the facilities in your city that provides classes for your child.
4. Make sure it works with your schedule and budget. You might have found the perfect class for your child, but you want to make sure that it fits your schedule and your budget before you enroll. Make sure that it is on a day of the week that you have free and that your child will have no problem attending during the week. If you have a baby that still takes a nap during the day, do not schedule a class that will interfere with that! The last thing you want is for your little one to attend a class tired and cranky. You guys are there to have fun!
5. Have fun! Yes, have fun! It might sound simple, but one of the very reasons that you want to enroll your child in a class is to have fun. You want it to be a class that he/she looks forward to every week and will tell all of his/her friends about. You know that your child is really enjoying a class when he/she can’t stop talking about it.
So put down the cell phone, kick off your shoes and spend those 45-60 min bonding and having fun with your child. Remember – they watch you and look up to you, so if they see you having fun they will too!