Are after school programs important?

The short answer to this one-VERY.  And for many reasons.

Positive social interaction and the creation of healthy habits are two HUGE reasons to choose an afterschool program like Riverdales in Fremont California.

In today’s world, children are bombarded with negative imaging from a very early age. The result of this can be poor self-esteem, anxiety, and even emotional disturbances. The main way children overcome these issues is through social conditioning, that is, learning by experience that the world will not end if they answer a question wrong.

Unfortunately, the bulk of a child’s social conditioning comes from their schooling, where equally negatively impacted children are all looking for a way of making themselves feel valuable. This type of situation plays out all too often in name calling, bullying, and generally closed minded, unacceptable behavior.

After school programs offer children a less stressful social environment in which to interact, learn, and study. Attentive staff members not only provide academic support for children, but can teach them how to take constructive criticism, and directly monitor interactions between students, encouraging behaviors that build each one up rather than tear them down.

The other benefit to an easily structured learning program is creating healthy habits.

You may have the most self-disciplined child, but at home there are just too many distractions. Between television and tablets, video games and outside play time, homework can often be pushed back until it is time to put their pajamas on. After that it is just “We will try again tomorrow”. This is an easy cycle to get into, and a hard one to break.

Structured and effective after school programs like Riverdales can cut out distractions and provide that much needed space to create successful habits.  Our staff can provide one on one support to children in need of academic help, and the program helps keep children accountable while building effective habits.

Life comes at us fast, and having healthy habits is important for anyone. Setting up those habits at an early age is vital in giving children the chance to reach their fullest human potential. The after school programs at Riverdales in Fremont, California, are designed to help kids succeed. From study time to play time to social activity, we know the importance of a relaxed, structured environment.