Finding the Right Mix of Academics, Sports and The Arts

Schools in The Chino Valley have recently started their new year in mid-summer, shortening the families’ traditional recreation and vacation time between the months of June and September. Our sun-bleached kids are catapulted from the pool to the classroom with little to no time to re-group for Fall and Winter activities. Most families filled up their summer with special classes, camps and outings to keep their children out of the house, off of the computer, and leaving them little time to text! How different our world is now than when we were children… I’d take off on my bike and was expected home by sunset. What time exactly was sunset and did my parents always know where I was to get a hold of me? No cell phones then, so how did that happen? In today’s times we need to know where our children are every minute of the day, confident that they are in a safe and nurturing place!

If school starts at 8:00am and ends at 3:00pm, that’s nearly a 7-hour day spent away from home. Then there’s the 2-3 hours of homework every day, with extensive reading, projects and special assignments. Where in that 10-hour day is time for a youngster’s rest and relaxation? During my 38 years in the dance school business, I have seen first hand, the long-term negatives of an over-academic achiever. A child who immerses him or herself in books and hibernates in their room barely coming up for air demands a drastic need for balance that includes some form of physical activity that provides the release of stress, tension and inhibition. After a few hours of dedicated homework, the ideal ’emotional break’ might include a sports activity or study in The Arts. That short break-away is just what the doctor would order, allowing for a clear head, and a break of sweat! Your child will demonstrate a noticeable renewed excitement after a welcomed warm shower, to finish their homework with a smile! If your little loved-one can use a ‘happy-break’, give The Dellos Dance Connection a try. They offer recreational thru advanced classes for academically exhausted 2 1/2 year olds to adult! Call or drop by Monday-Thursday, 4:00-9:00pm. (909) 597-9370. Peek your head out of your books and go check them out!