After school activities should be optional because kids might not have the time, it could cause stress, and some kids wouldn;t be interested. Why should a student be forced into an activity when they have chores? what about the amount of extra stress? Plus, sports and yearbook aren't everyone's favorite thing.

As stated before, some kids don't have time for things like activities. A student might have to babysit a sibling, do chores, work around the house, or even have a job!

There's no reason for making extra activities mandatory. Meetings early in the morning? Less sleep for growing children. After school? There's enough at home to handle. Even the middle of class wouldn't work, as the student would fall behind.

Not only will it mess up a kids schedule, it'll cause stress. Life can be stressful for students. Especially when dealing with tests, quizzes, and changes to the student. Add in an activity that'll cause them to have less distressing time and you'll have a meltdown waiting to happen. You can't expect a student to be able to handle that. If students actively pick an activity to do, it's because they know they can handle the time management.

And finally, Not everyone is going to be interested. Sure, the students might be cool with it for the first week, but then it'll be bothersome and annoying. Activities should be optional, not mandatory. It takes the fun out of everything. Whether you let the students pick or not, it won't matter. Not everyone wants to join the sports team. Not everyone wants to work for the yearbook. Some people would prefer going home and relaxing at the end of the day.

While it seems like a good idea, mandatory participation should't be a thing. Most kids are trying to spend time with family, not giving them time to do sports. Some people might already be stressing over tests and grades, causing more stress in activities. And let's not forget that not everyone would be interested in kicking a ball around or painting. It may be for the best, but it's also the worst to make activities mandatory.