Too many extra curricular activities for kids

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I think NTs tend to go way overboard with putting their children in extra curricular activities. Do kids need to have constant activities after school? I don't think so. Kids need time to be kids and play with their friends and siblings. I know kids that didn't want to be in all the activities that their parents signed them up for. These kids usually just wanted unstructured playtime with their friends or they hated the activity that their parents made them do. Extra Curricular activities are nothing more than a way for parents to compete with each other through their kids. What do you guys think?

My brother definitely feels this way, with his 10-year-old son (who exhibits many autistic traits, but so far is managing well without a diagnosis). Where they live, it's normal for kids to have a full-time schedule of after-school programs, in order to be competitive for college admission, and he agrees it's too much.

I thought most kids participated in their extra curricular activities because they wanted to.

I tried a few by choice but they weren't for me, so I quit them. I wasn't pushed by my parents to start them or stay when I wanted to quit, and that's how I think extra curricular activities should be.
They must be the choice of the child. Pressing your kids into things rather than let them be kids is as wrong as NTs thinking it more important to try to normalize us rather than let us enjoy our childhood.

I spent my childhood reading, writing and playing the games I wanted in my spare time, all by choice. That's a big part of what made my childhood great.

I also think the "skolefritidsordning" (or fritidshjem as it was called in the 80's, we have here must be awful. It's for kids from 1st to 4th grade and they stay in school after school under supervision because their parents are at work. Apparently for kids with special needs it's up to 7th grade. Yet another reason why I'm so glad I wasn't diagnosed as a kid! I could never wait to get out of school after the end of the school day. I am still so very happy I didn't have to be in that program!
Some people have wanted to make it compulsory because it's such an "advantage" to be there and be together and social and all that crap. Barf. I do not envy the poor children who have my sentiments and are stuck with growing up today! So little freedom...

I think this can be particularly problematic for children on the autistic spectrum. Many of us put a lot of energy into "passing" so that we can get through the social aspects of the school day, which may also make us very anxious. this can leave us exhausted by the time school finishes. I always wanted to just collapse on my bed the moment I got home from school, and needed a break from other people so that I could recharge my batteries ready to do it all over again the following day.

I am fortunate. The "after school" program I was in was a place which had ping pong and knock hockey.

For some kids, the present day extracurricular programs might be to their benefit. There are times when idleness begets boredom, which begets mischief. Then again, there are some kids who, definitely, would not benefit from them. I don't think I would have benefited, either, despite what I used to do when I was idle.

When I was 12, I was idle and bored, and I shoplifted.

^^^^ What you said was totally to the point of the topic, in my opinion.

To be honest I don't even know how it feels like to have too many extra curricular activities as kid because I was a latchkey kid ever since I were 8. I stayed in the schools aftercare when I were 7 and as a young kid I was attending a preschool and nursery, where I waited for grandma end work at 4PM but I don't really remember it - except for the times I waited for grandma to get me out, watching all other kids leaving earlier than me. I was often the last kid inside and grandma would still not come for another half of hour.

When I were 8 I was given a choice to stay in the school aftercare or walk 5 mins by myself and wait at home alone. I choose home, because aftercare was boring.
It was also kinda depressing/boring/scary to stay home alone though, especially before my favorite cartoons time started (12AM-1PM school ends, 3:30PM - cartoons start, 4:30PM - grandma gets home) but I could deal with it by walking around the neighborhood and visiting neighbors (I befriended a 2 year old girl and her parents living upstairs so I haunted them daily, I am not sure if they liked it though). I met them when I happened to lose/forget house key(that was happening often) and I was forced to stay on the stairs with my heavy backpack till grandma got home. I saw them coming upstairs and followed them, like an abandoned kitten.

So I believe I would benefit from some extracurricular activities back then - assuming they weren't as boring as the schools aftercare, where kids were just doing their homework or playing board games(and I seriously don't remember having almost any homework to do as a kid, while other kids were complaining they have way too much homework and not enough time for playing - I was often bored as a child).

Now you know NT parents want to have something additional to brag about.

It is not an inherently NT thing because it did not exist to this insane degree until recent decades.

It hurts most kids no matter what neurology because it produces over reliant children who can not think for themselves.