兴趣爱好可以让你的孩子在远离萤幕的宝贵时间里发挥他们的创造技能, get some exercise and learn about the world in a fun way.
但多年来，课外活动的费用飙升. Playing on a travel team, for instance, costs families an average of $2,292 every year, with some spending as much as $20,000 annually.
That’s a lot of cash to blow on your kids throwing a ball around.
当你亲爱的女儿气喘吁吁地回家告诉你她进了学校足球队时，你作何反应? 哦，她有没有提到她需要一些钱来买制服和装备?
或者当你的儿子冲进门来，宣布他决定去上打鼓课? It’ll only be $600 for the drum set, plus the price of lessons. But that’s not a big deal for you, is it?
作为父母，当你的孩子想要拓展并致力于一门手艺时，很难拒绝. 毕竟，课外活动是儿童发展的重要组成部分. 兴趣爱好是一个极好的创意出口，可以帮助提高孩子的身体和认知健康. 课外活动帮助他们走出自己的社交圈，结交新的、持久的友谊. 他们为孩子们提供了在课堂上可能无法实现的发光发亮的机会. And if you're lucky enough to have a prodigy in the family, 课外活动甚至可能是你孩子获得大学奖学金的途径, and possibly a lucrative career.
But still...
如今，许多家长看到与孩子活动相关的价格标签就不寒而栗. 这并不奇怪，因为今天的许多青少年活动——尤其是体育活动 — have adopted a restrictive pay-to-play mentality, leaving the thrill of victory out of reach for many families.
18岁以下儿童最昂贵的课外活动:
| Horseback riding | $2,000 - $5,000 |
| Karate | $2,000 |
| Gymnastics | $4,000 |
| Dance | $1,500 - $7,000 |
| Piano | $1,200 - $4,500 |
| Golf | $850 - $3,500 |
Let's not sugarcoat it. Hobbies are expensive.
If you have several multi-sport children at home, you may be looking at an investment of $10,000 or more.
父母想要帮助孩子过上充实的生活，这是值得称赞的. 但是，为了实现这一目标而不断打开钱包的父母，正在给自己造成巨大的经济伤害. If you’re blowing your budget every month to pay for your kids' hobbies, not only are you affecting your retirement, but you could also be doing great harm to your family dynamic. 专家说，把太多的课外活动塞进孩子的大脑可能会引发父母之间关于费用的争吵，这对孩子的健康有不利影响.
Obviously, 你永远不要因为你负担不起而劝阻你的孩子参加某项活动或爱好. To help with that, 这里有一些方法可以帮你在孩子的课外活动上省钱.
1. Limit the number of after-school activities you allow for each child
If you have several over-ambitious young ones at home, consider limiting extracurricular activities to just one per child. By letting them choose which activity they prefer, they’re more likely to focus on perfecting their game. This approach helps prevent your children from over-committing, 这可能导致忽视学业和与家人在一起的时间更少.
2. Ask "are you having fun?"
如果你的孩子对他或她的爱好有兴趣，那么这些花费可能是值得的. 但是，如果你的孩子报名参加了世界上所有的活动，但并不是对所有的活动都感兴趣, it may be time to cut the fat. There’s no sense in wasting money on activities that bore your kids.
永远不要以为你的孩子会告诉你他们什么时候厌倦了一项活动. 一个孩子可能会有很多原因去参与他们私下里讨厌的事情. Parental pressure is a common culprit. It’s always good practice to ask yourself “are they only doing this as to not disappoint me?”
3. Register early
许多青少年体育项目为提前报名提供高达30%的折扣. Speak to your children about after-school programs and sports teams, 在正式季节发布前几个月，这样你就可以提前注册并抓住那些早鸟特价. 你也可以通过预付整个季节的费用而不是按月付款来获得折扣.
4. Buy used equipment
从以下网站购买二手设备，可以节省大量的运动装备 PlayItAgainSports and SidelineSwap. 其中一些网站还允许你通过出售自己的二手设备来赚回这笔钱.
5. Say YES to hand-me-down equipment
If you have friends with kids who are (or were) into sports and music, see if you can swap equipment and instruments from year to year. 与朋友交换可以让你节省昂贵的装备，同时让你自己闲置的装备得到充分利用.
6. Rent musical instruments
如果你家里有崭露头角的音乐家，可以考虑租用他们今年使用的乐器. There’s no way to tell if that burst of passion, 他们目前正在护理双簧管只是一个过渡阶段，或者是一个将持续一生的爱好的开始. 为什么要花几百美元买一件乐器，几个月后却发现它被遗忘在阁楼上呢? Some instruments, like the French horn, can cost as much as $1,000 but can be rented for as little as $50 a month.
如果你的孩子确信他们已经找到了自己喜欢的乐器，或者你已经租了一段时间了, 你可以从Craigslist和eBay这样的转售网站或通过Reverb购买二手乐器, a site devoted to selling used musical instruments.
7. Look for extracurricular activities that makes sense financially
打开谷歌(Google)搜索引擎，研究一下历史上对预算友好的青年活动. Pitch the idea to your children. 如果他们对参与一些既能帮助他们成长又不会破坏你钱包的事情感到兴奋, that’s a win-win.
对于18岁以下的孩子来说，最便宜的课外活动:
| Soccer (Recreational) | $200 |
| Basketball (Recreational) | $175 - $375 |
| Track and field | $125 - $300 |
| Swimming | $150 - $300 |
| Skateboarding | $200 |
| Scouts | $150 |
不要让紧张的预算阻碍孩子的创造力和身体发展. By making smart, economical choices, 你可以给你的孩子一个他们应得的童年，而不会使你的家庭经济紧张.
Source:
http://blog.cheapism.com/extracurricular-activities-for-kids-18136/
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