RAYMOND, Miss. -- Extracurricular activities offer many benefits for children and teens, but parents should help young people set important boundaries when it comes to these activities.

“Participating in sports, music, dance and other activities not only helps children learn life skills, like time management and interpersonal skills, but also teaches them about themselves -- what things they are good at and what things they enjoy,” said Lori Elmore-Staton, a human development and family science specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service.

However, children and families can be easily overwhelmed by extracurricular activities, especially when two or three children are participating in two or three activities each. When choosing activities, consider how they will affect the entire family in terms of time and energy, finances and stress levels.

Elmore-Staton stresses the significance of making sure children have enough free time and family time.

“We all need individual downtime -- children and adults -- and families need time together. Be very mindful about your family’s needs and maintain a balance between school, activities, free time and family time,” said Elmore-Staton, who is also an associate professor in the MSU School of Human Sciences. “Leave time for family meals, game nights or family outings on a regular basis.”

While there is no guide for how much free time children need, parents can gauge whether their child has enough time to recharge by knowing their child and paying attention to their behavior.

“Some children need more free time than others,” Elmore-Staton said. “This all comes down to knowing your children well. Things to watch for are meltdowns in young children and irritability in teenagers. They may have taken on too much if they are emotionally overwhelmed, falling asleep in class, or they aren’t able to complete all their tasks.”

To help children and families avoid being overwhelmed, it is a good idea to set family rules regarding after-school and summer activities. Remember that one child’s activities affect the whole family.

Elmore-Staton encourages each family to decide how extracurricular activities fit into their life. This will depend on a child’s interests, their goals and how much time and money a family has to invest.

“For example, I tell my children they can choose one sport and one other activity that is less time consuming. That way, they get a well-rounded experience in activities they enjoy, but we are not gone every night of the week,” she said.

Setting boundaries on sports can help protect children’s physical health as well.

“There is some research that shows children, especially those who play sports year-round, are experiencing injuries related to the wear and tear from playing sports much earlier in life,” Elmore-Staton said.

Although balancing after-school activities with other important aspects of life can be challenging, it is an opportunity for children to improve their time management skills, said Kindall Akers, an Extension associate in the MSU School of Human Sciences.

“Effective time management skills are important to keep stress levels down and accomplish the many tasks we need to get done in our day,” Akers said. “One of the best ways that parents can help children learn good time management skills is to model it themselves. Show them how to do things like time blocking, breaking tasks into smaller parts or using a calendar to stay organized.”

Families can get resources and professional advice on several topics, including how to build good time management skills, through the Trauma-Informed Parenting and Professional Strategies, or TIPPS, program, which is made available through a partnership between MSU Extension and the Mississippi Department of Human Services.

The program is available to any parent or caregiver in Mississippi and provides a series of five boxes with developmentally appropriate resources on several topics, including positive discipline strategies, resource management, communication and emotion regulation. Each family that signs up is paired with a staff member who is available to them throughout the program, connecting them to resources in their area and answering questions about the provided resources or child development.

“Parenting doesn’t come with a handbook, so we want these toolkits to come as close as possible while providing families opportunities to connect with one another,” Akers said.

Extension Publication 4009, “Tips for Parents: Managing Extracurricular Activities” provides more information on choosing extracurricular activities. To sign up or for more information about the TIPPS program, visit https://tipps.extension.msstate.edu.

Learn more about time management in Extension Publication 4007, “Tips for Parents: How to Make the Most of Your Time.”