"More than half of parents surveyed said they spend more than they can afford on their child’s activities. But 48 percent of the parents say they don’t regret spending the money.
More than 60 percent of parents said their kids’ extracurricular activities — everything from music lessons to sports — led them into debt."
And…
"The University of Michigan study found that 18 percent of middle and high school students are not involved in extracurricular activities.
That number doubles for lower-income families.
“Extracurricular school activities have been shown to boost educational achievement, personal development and social opportunities,” poll co-director Sarah Clark said in an interview. “But barriers to participation prevent some children from enjoying the benefits that these experiences offer.” "
I have talked to numerous parents who have paid ridiculous sums of money for extracurricular activities for their kids … yet they balk at paying for college. Seems backwards to me, but maybe that’s just me. It doesn’t make sense to me to complain that a college won’t give money to your kid after you spent thousands and thousands and thousands on (insert here) over the years.
Sometimes, spending a lot on the kids through high school (giving them the impression that there are no financial limits on their choices) sets them up for the big let down when college is the first time in the kids’ lives when their choices are heavily constrained by financial limits.