subject: Extracurricular Activities: Improving Family Relations [print this page] The contribution of extracurricular activities in education is often taken for granted. The latter is specifically evident from the perspective of students who participate in those activities, overlooking the benefits they provide. Some of them enroll in sports for the love of it. Others enroll in theater groups because they love theater. These students do not think about the benefits of their participation to their academic performance, skills development, relationships and/or behavioral improvements. Nevertheless, such contributions do exist and they are empirically proven. This article outlines the benefits of enrolling in extracurricular activities for such aspect as improving family relations. Overview of the Problem Adolescence can be seen as one of the most difficult periods in the life of parents and students. In that regard, finding a mutual interest between parents and children is highly important to improve their relations during such complex period. Teenagers, even if they do not show it, always seek the approval of their parents. At the same time, parents might tend to change their relations with their children, perceiving them as adults. Sometimes the exact opposite might occur. In that regard, the participation of the student in extracurricular activities, with due interest from parents, can be seen as a good way to improve inner family relations between parents and children, through directing their interest in one direction. Extracurricular Activities The role of extracurricular activities in this context can be outlined through such aspects as the following: 1. Traveling together. 2. School games and competitions in which parents participate. 3. Attendance of all events in which students do participate, whether it is theater, sports, or others. 4. Showing sufficient interest from both sides to involve the other party in extracurricular activities. Thus, it can be seen that extracurricular activities are significant for both students and parents.
Extracurricular Activities: Improving Family Relations
