extra activities, how much money?

So my DS started an introductory 4 week martial arts class. It was a special price of $49. If you continue with it, it will be about 120/mo with another one time "gear package" cost. DH thinks that is alot of money for an activity and I sort of agree but DS seems interested and some of the listening skills and flexibility would be a great benefit for him. So, how much would you pay for an extracirriculum activity for a six year old?

Let me know what you think! Thanks

 

I looked into martial arts for DS, but decided against it because it is so expensive and because it met 3 times/week. That is a lot for a little kid! So, instead, we are doing basketball/cheerleading with the Upward program (nation-wide through local churches). The cost for our local teams is $75 for the 3 month season and includes uniforms. It also only meets once a week. They also offer soccer and flag football that we may look into later. DD is also in dance and it costs $85 every 3 months.

I have no idea why martial arts is so expensive, but I called every local school and the prices were similar to what you mentioned. I would love to enroll DS because he needs help with his coordination, but there is no way we could afford it! I figure he can gain the skills you mentioned in any sport, plus learn how to work with a team which he wouldn't learn as well in martial arts. So, we decided to stick with the cheaper stuff.

 

Check with your YMCA for martial arts classes. We were looking at getting Timothy involved in that for a while (he changed his mind), but I was finding the 3 day a week, multiple hours each day, uniforms required classes for 4-5 year olds. It was about $90 a month. Then I check the local YMCA and they had a once a week, Sat. morning for a 90 mins class, uniform and going for belts optional program for about $45 a month.

As for classes, when we took art classes, they were $65 per month, per kid for a 60 min. class. At the time, it was the cheapest class we had found that would help the kids with socialization and work on the fine motor skills with Timothy.

Most kid classes feel too expensive to me. We aren't doing any right now. I'm teaching Timothy piano and I'm teaching Sarah how to sew. The rest of the time we either go to the children's museum (my pass is cheaper than 1 month of art lessons) or bowling or grandma's house for activities. I also strongly feel that once the kids are in school full-time in 1st grade, that they don't need all the extra activities. They need to come home, run around the yard like crazy and get a good nights sleep.

Marissa

 

My boys do one sport a season, and now that they are going into 3rd grade, the sports are going from instructional to competitive, so, where soccer originally cost $40 per child, this year it is $65 per child (and this is for rec soccer--the travel team is about 2-3 times as much). I also let them do 1-2 after school clubs, and those are about $37 per session, which usually runs once a week for 10 weeks. These take place right after school.

 

When I&I did martial arts it was about $90/mo per kid plus the uniform. They are doing horseback riding since January and that's $175/mo. per kid for a 1 1/2 hour lesson once a week. Luckily, we only need to buy boots and no special clothing.

 

Wow, that is a lot for martial arts. Gabe is in it, but it's $95 for 8 weeks plus the belt testing (which is another $25). I think that's a great price for 8 weeks and he loves it and it has really helped with some discipline issues we were having. My Mom is really generous and helps us out with activities for the kids. The girls are taking a hula dance class right now and Gabe is in martial arts. In the fall, they will get back into swimming as well. The dance class is a special they are having right now and it's 6 weeks for $49 plus 10% the 2nd child. Great price again. When we do swimming, it's $70 (for each kid) for 4 weeks and it meets twice a week.

 

We paid $65 a piece for ballet/tap plus recital fees and costumes

 

That is a lot of money. I would struggle with that.

We pay $45 for an 8 week dance session though the city (recitals cost about $50 extra for costumes). Soccer was $185 for the whole season, for each child, which lasts from August to November. T-ball was about $200 for each child, which lasted from March to May. Sports are expensive, so the plan is that they will get to choose one sport or activity at a time. In addition to the cost, there is also the time factor. Soccer and t-ball is twice a week (one practice, one game). Martial arts, from my understanding, can be multiple times per week.

If he loves it, and the discipline is helping, then hey, I say go for it.

 

My girls all take dance. We paid $74 a month for all three girls. Caitlyn's is the most because she takes more classes. They have a great family discount and one of the twins is free. They only charge for one in a set of multiples. The recital was $52 per girl and I also had to pay for Caitlyn to be in the ballets. Nutcracker was $55 which includes new performance ballet slippers and The Wizard of Oz was $42(no new slippers).

The twins played soccer from mid March to mid May. That was $60 for both and included uniform shirts.

Hayley wanted to do martial arts also but it cost too much. It would be around $90 each per month.

 

We pay $75/ month for Paige to be in gymnastics which is one night a week for an hour and 15 min. Zack played t-ball, it was $120 for about 2 1/2 months and he will play flag football which will be about $100, but I'm not sure how many games there will be or how long it will run.

 

We currently pay $50 a month for my daughter to take a one hour tap and ballet class at a local dance studio one day each week. This does not include the recital fee of about $125 either.

My son played Pony baseball in the spring and that was $80 per kid plus $25 to the team mom for gifts, end of year party, etc.. and then we had to buy cleats, a bat, under shirts and a helmet.

Soccer is costing us $100 per kid, plus we need to buy cleats, shinguards and balls for each.

Like others have said, it definitely adds up, but if the kids are committed and interested I do think it is worth the expense in the end.

Good luck!

 

I had no idea martial arts were so much more expensive than everything else!

It's hard to calculate our outlay per month, but the kids take swimming, gymnastics, and ballet, and it definitely adds up. (All the classes are once a week at their age.)

We currently pay about $60 per kid for each 5-week swimming class (which they've now taken 3 times and will continue to take at least until they can swim).

Gymnastics, I believe, is about $85 per kid for a 12-week session.

Ballet is something like $150 for a semester (about 3 months?) with no recital fee and no need to buy costumes or anything except ballet slippers.

I really should add it all up someday... :blush:

Anyway, so, I don't think $120 a month is outrageous, but I probably would want him to focus on just that one thing. I'd also worry about overcommitting him if it's 3x a week or something like that. I think it's ridiculous how much time small children are expected to put into these things. (Of course I may feel differently when they're in 1st grade and all their friends are doing it too....)

 

my bf's DH teaches martial arts and the $90 per month is standard regardless of age...that $90 buys you all the dojo time you want which I think is ridiculous for a 4-5 year old...I tried to see if she could get her DH to get the Master to knock down the price a bit and he refused - so we then did ice skating lessons (for ice hockey) and that was $165 for a weekly class from March to June...the program sucked though and I don't feel that Ian got much out of it...

 

Thanks for your replies. I am still torn. Ds really likes the class and has been very proud of what he has been doing. I checked at the YMCA and although the classes were less expensive it would mean a 30 min drive each way for it. This class is within walking distance from our house. (we live in a small town about 30 min from a bigger city) My boys are not in anything else after school, i dont believe in over committing them at such a young age so I am not worried about that. The class meets only 2x/week. We will see how I feel at the end of the introductory period. Thanks again!