Parent Driven DevelopmentEpisode 034: Back to School and Extracurricular Activities for KidsBarrett Clark is a data programmer, speaker and author of Data Visualization ToolKit. He is a longtime member of the Ruby community and a co-organizer of RailCamp South. Married for 22 years, Barrett and his wife have two teenage boys and a new dog.Ruby community Family: 2 highschool teenage sons (senior / sophomore) both in band. Parent advisors and past president to children’s band teamBarrett’s son involved with bandThe parents get involved as well, to have the kids know that you value them and their interestcarpools with fellow parents Helping kids see the importance of prioritizing (school, dating, work, band, etc)Signing your kids up for more activities Kids getting wiped out from over activity Teaching kids the importance of community at a young ageFriends of similar interests and idealsCreating deeper bonds Certain activities lend towards a larger community than others. gymnastic - girls range from 12-18, while sports often limit to one age groupMore time with your children Build your own community amongst the other parents involved with your kidsFlexibility in being involved “part-time”Single parentsYounger kids in school Parents helping each other get their kids to activities Making sure other kids have support if their parents aren’t there or too busyFilm concerts, games, etc for distant family members or busy parents to help keep them involved Building the community feel past just teammates and classmates Sit down and discuss with your child. what’s important to you most? will you have time for all these sports and clubs?Ask about the history of the organization and decipher if it’s the right fit for you and your childDon’t yell at refsOverly involved parent envyFundraisers - parents typically have to get involved as wellWriting a check vs. spending the time on fundraisersKids take responsibility (older kids)Parents budgeting for future extracurriculars for kids Non-negotiable extracurriculars for kids - kids choice vs. have-to’s Budgeted financial support for activity or sportThe volleyball team offers a weekend trial for students to try without commitment. #genius New favorite child when they take on your same activity Barrett plays catch up with son’s college applications - the struggles motivating your child and parent strategy #geniusfailMiddle school back to school night, too many teachers and no quality time #failmoment Allison’s son on a mission to find Sukana bread… except she doesn’t know what it is #failKwu’s son’s first haircut goes awry #fail So Kwu stepped up, orders tools and cuts his hair at home now #geniusFollow & SupportPlease follow us @parentdrivendev on Twitter or email us at [email protected]. Our website is at ParentDrivenDevelopment.com.Support us via Patreon and get access to our our Slack Community.PanelKWuChris SextonJC AvenaAllison McMillanJosh PuetzSpecial Guest: Barrett Clark.