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After school and weekend activities

TheCatWoman

Were you taken to after school and weekend activities, like dance classes, brownies/guides, cubs and scouts, sunday school etc? 

I think they're a lot more common now, every child's life seems to be full of activities, but when I was younger there didn't seem to be so many and I was never allowed to go anyway.

Do you feel that lack of activities has held you back in some way, or did you dread being forced to go to them?

I'm really interested in how social groups and social skills develop as well as anything people learn such as music, dance, drama etc. How were these things introduced to you? For me things like singing and dancing were something people on telly did, not quite real and something that it never occured to me that I could do.

Parents

  • I was taken to Sunday school by my mother when she attended church. I preferred staying in the main service with the adults though. Some of the people at church became like extended family members and the service followed a familiar pattern, so I didn't feel too awkward.

    Once I reached the age of 7 or 8 I was sent to Girls Brigade meetings one evening a week, and ballroom dancing lessons another evening. Two of my cousins also attended both, so I wasn't alone.

    Girls Brigade taught skills like sewing, ironing, baking, flower arranging, handicrafts, first aid and how to care for pets and babies. Thinking back now it does seem a bit sexist, but that's how things were then and it was friendlier and less pressured than school. 

    The dance class was small and run by an older married couple, and I enjoyed learning to move to the music in a fairly graceful way. I also got a sense of achievement by attaining bronze, silver and finally gold medals in the dance exams.

    As I didn't connect much with my sibling who was 5 years younger than me, I think that this enforced socialisation did me some good. It also strengthened my relationship with my two cousins who were closer in age to me.  - I know you've said before that you were an only child, so it's a shame that you weren't encouraged to attend any after school or weekend clubs.

  • in reply to Lotus

    The things you did at Girls Brigade were similar to those I did in Guides. It suited me as I wasn't into adventurous things. I don't know about Guiding today, but some girls go to Scouts for those kind of things. 

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