Deciding whether or not to take part in an extracurricular (课外的) activity can be a challenge. Before signing up to play on the volleyball team, first consider the advantages and disadvantages of such a decision.     1     Students are successful when they take part in many activities. They do well in their classes and feel more connected with school. Research shows that students taking part in extracurricular activities have better grades. Extracurricular activities also help students make new friends and maintain lasting relationships.     2     Even though we became friends a long time ago, we are still close today.

While these activities have many advantages, students should consider the downside as well.     3     Doing extracurricular activities can be too much for students who do not perform good time management. Students need to be good at managing their time.

Another downside of extracurricular activities involves transportation.     4     A few of my classmates joined the school’s cultural club. They later discovered that the members met after school. These students dropped out of the club because they had to catch their buses.

Only you can decide if extracurricular activities are right for you. These activities can help you succeed in many areas of your life.     5     Are you up for a challenge?

I recently attended a Little League baseball game held in Nassau County. It turned out to be a lesson on how not to parent a Little Leaguer.

I went there to watch a family friend play ball. School was winding down, and it was possible that stress levels would below, especially on the ball field. These kids were supposed to be having fun. But why did they look so angry? Why were the parents so tense? These were 11-and 12-year-old children, not professionals. But it seemed that the parents were not aware of that.

Some of the kids looked miserable. Both coaches were shouting at their players. With every pitch (投), every catch and every swing of the bat came sounds of “No, not like that!” or “Better keep that up, son!” After a while , it seemed to have a negative effect on the kids.

In the fifth game, after a player missed a play on the infield, a man told the boy, “Pay attention to the action! Get your head in the game!” The player responded, “Dad, it’s just a game, and I’m exhausted!”

I thought to myself how embarrassing that must have been for both of them. It’s been years since I was on the field, but I played in many different sports leagues as a kid. I recall how competitive some parents were when it came to watching their children. And it’s fine to want your children to win. Winning is important.

But winning is not everything. Is that the message you want to get across to your child—to win at all costs, and to put fun second? Because that is certainly what it seemed like, and that’s not the healthiest environment for a kid, not in Little League, anyway.

I played for and against my share of competitive coaches. But at the baseball game, the parents seemed to care about the outcome much more than their kids. Arguments over whose kid was the better pitcher and calls missed by the judge often broke out between parents in the stands.

7 . Your kids may be unhappy about the end of summer and the beginning of another school year but you can cheer them up with something fun. Here are 4 fantastic places for them to go this fall.

Frist Art Museum

Tickets: $15 adults, free ages 18& younger

One of the most famous children's authors of all time, Eric Carle, is the creator of more than 70 picture books. In the exhibit of Eric Carle's Picture Books: Celebrating 50 Years of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, you and your kids will be offered the chance to explore Carle s personal history and interests, different subjects and artistic techniques.

Grand ole Opry House

Tickets: $24.99 (children 3 younger are free)

This fantastic musical, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, is a live-action stage version of the based 1964 animated（动画的）TV special. The 70-minute stage adaptation holds true to the TV version, and it’s great excitement to watch Rudolph flying in the air over the stage. Your kids are going to be excited when the larger-than-life Abominable Snowman takes the stage!

First Tennessee Park

Tickets:23.99adults: 15.99 ages 3-16: (On Tuesday or Wednesday, 12.79ages3-12: Tickets: $ 20.79 adults or ages over 12

Nashville is getting a brand-new holiday experience at the stadium, GLOW, which will soon feature 4 million lights, the South's largest Christmas tree (at more than 100 feet tall)and other decorations related to the coming Christmas.

Bridgestone Arena

Tickets: $100

There have been other “Jurassic” live shows with life-size robotic dinosaurs, but this is the very first time that the Jurassic World movie has set free its ancient creatures in an arena（竞技场）experience. Your kids can look forward to a whole new Jurassic World.

8 . Camping is a good way to spend time along with your kids and to show them how wonderful nature can be. Through camping, children can discover new things about nature, such as flowers, birds, and other small animals. Camping gives kids time to get away from all the electronics of today’s culture. So it is necessary to plan exciting and enjoyable family camping trips with your children while they are young.

When planning your family camping trip, consider the activities your kids like:games, hiking, swimming, boating, bicycling, etc. Select a camping place that has some of the activities the kids are interested in. Meal planning is an important part of your camping trip. Plan the meals together, and kids love to choose what they want to eat.

When starting to pack for your trip, let the kids pack their own items. Each person should have his/her own sleeping bag with a luggage bag to put it in. Personal items should be packed with their sleeping bags. Encourage the kids to put their items in a certain place and always return it when they have finished using it.

When you have arrived at your campsite, make all the camping activities a family activity, which will help children to realize how important team work is. Everyone can have his/her own job sitting up the campsite. Meal time can be a fun time. So let the older ones help with the cooking on your outdoor camping stove while the younger ones get the picnic table ready.

9 . When I was a kid, my parents sent me to a summer camp in New Hampshire. At the _________ we did tons of great things like swimming, sports and archery, but for me, the most memorable experience was an overnight trip of mountain climbing. If you’ve ever _________ a mountain, you know it’s a physical challenge, especially when you’re carrying your food and shelter on your back. When campers got tired, they _________ started complaining.

“How much farther is it?”

“I can’t go any further.”

“My _________ is too heavy. Can you carry it for me?”

The reply of the teachers was, “Suck it up (忍耐一下)!” The _________ is that the complaining campers were nowhere near the point of exhaustion. If they had been, the teachers would have noticed the signs and given them _________. The kids simply weren’t used to the physical challenge. Once they realized they weren’t getting any sympathy, they _________ the discomfort, and in most cases _________ having a great time. In my camp days, I don’t recall a single camper complaining at the top of the _________.

There are two ways to deal with an ____________ situation. You can complain, or you can make the best of it. If you complain, you might feel like you’re getting that ____________ energy out, but you’re probably not going to cause a positive change. It’s much more likely that your complaining will cause the ____________ of those around you. No one likes a complainer. They’re ____________ and they hurt the group. Complaining makes life ____________ for everyone. Instead, if you determine to master your own suffering, to move past it and focus on a ____________, it’s my experience that you’ll realize it wasn’t bad in the first place.

10 . I did not go on my first hike until my mid－30s. I could blame it on the fact that I grew up on the Great Plains of South Dakota and North Dakota.    1     Having never gone, I didn't see the value and always shook my head when asked.

    2    .At the urging of my wife, and with my two young kids, we walked a beautiful forest path on a cool August morning. I carried a small backpack with water and snacks．When we reached the top, we ate lunch together overlooking a perfectly still pond and a scenic Vermont.

A few weeks ago, my 11-year-old son, my 61-year-old dad, and I hiked Camelback Mountain in Phoenix.Last weekend，I hiked down the Grand Canyon with my son along the South Kaibab Trail. And later this week, my wife and daughter will join us to walk the Waterfall Trail in the White Tank Mountains.    3    

Now, just to be clear, by no means would I classify myself as an expert hiker.    4    And I have no plans to climb Mount Kilimanjaro or walk the Appalachian Trail. But waking early on a Saturday morning to walk 3－5 miles along a forest path with lunch in the backpack is a journey I'd recommend to anyone.

It is healthy physical exercise that creates wonderful memories.    5    And given the chance, hiking teaches us important truths about life.