Discipline in After School Activities

Is discipline important when it comes to after school programs? Being that most of the activities are recreational, should behavioral guidelines be set? Discipline is always important, whether during or after school. You send your children to lessons and practices to learn and excel. Without some level of discipline, children cannot reach their full potential in any activity or class. A constant lack of discipline will teach children to be lazy and indecisive.

Each activity or lesson should have rules. The coach, teacher or person in charge should explain all the rules to the children upon beginning the activity. There is no need to be harsh with the children when explaining the rules. Simply make it known that wavering from the rules will not be tolerated. If a child has misbehaved, then he should be reprimanded. Don't make a big scene in front of the child's peers. Take him aside and let him know that if he can't follow the rules then he will be kicked out of the class. Parents should speak to the persons in charge of activities that their children are involved in. A parent should request updates on the behavior and progress of their children. One should never allow misbehavior to go unpunished. If a child thinks he can do things and get away with it, then he will. Everyday the child will get worse and the children around him will follow. Children may seem as though they like chaos, but once order is established they enjoy everything much more.

Often times misbehavior is a simply cry for attention. The child wants to be noticed and so he does something bad to get your attention. You should realize this and try to give the child what he needs. You can give the child a special title with a responsibility to go with it. Like the bat boy, who collects the bats after baseball practice. This will make the child feel special and noticed.

If a child is acting out and there is no apparent reason, the parents should deal with the child as they see fit. There is a line in disciplining other peoples children, don't cross it. Parents and the people they entrust with there children should have close, good relationships. If you don't like a teacher's behavior, then you shouldn't allow your child to be in that class or activity. The person teaching your child should have a sense of rules and order. If the teacher doesn't have or enforce rules, then your child won't take rules seriously in other activities.