Children’s free time has become a matter of controversial debate, with some stressing the significance of extra curricular activities after school, whereas other say that they should be engaged in games. While playing after school averts the mental strain posed by formal education, I advocate the former idea for some reasons.
The proponents of the former perception cite the importance of children’s future to support their stance. Children can take advantage of extra activities in the form of mental development, in which cognitive as well as motor and interpersonal skills are improved through extra practice – a decisive factor in this competitive era. Consider learning languages as a vivid example, through which youngsters can learn how to communicate in other languages, enhancing their communication and linguistic skills.
On the other hand, engaging in enjoyable games after classes is also a point worth noting. As the youth channel the vast majority of their energy toward learning and practicing formal subjects, this would pose a mental strain on them, leading to exhaustion. Some people emphasize the role of games to prevent such an outcome of school. Indeed, children should take a rest after mental activity, with regard to mental well-being. They can involve in collaborative activities with their peers or spend quality time with their parents.
In my opinion, while both stances hold validity, the former carries a great weight compared to the latter. This is because children should grasp the essence of practical skills in order not to lag behind their counterparts in this highly competitive job market. By allocating decent amount of time after school on personal development, they can have enough time to develop creativity and essential traits for job market thanks to early exposure to education.
In conclusion, both methods – whether it be attending extra activities or spending time playing games after school – are vital for the youth; however, I reckon that the former should be applied more for children to set aside enough time in adulthood to be qualified in their future careers.