If you want to define a "super kid," look no further than Marcy Barnett's 7-year-old son, Malachi.
During the summer in Washington, D.C., he participates in just about every recreational sport: basketball, soccer, flag football, sailing, tennis, swimming and golf. He also has tried ice hockey, pingpong and pole vaulting. Anyone else tired after just reading that list?
Barnett wants her son to have fun and burn off his ample energy. But there's more to it. She spends time researching what she calls "quality programs" -- activities that display tangible evidence that he is learning valuable life lessons such as respect, teamwork and even basic social skills.
The problem is, she can't put him in just any program she finds and is interested in. Because of her financial situation, she picks only those that are free or subsidized or through the military, as Malachi's father is in the armed forces. And because she doesn't have a car, she relies on convenience, selecting programs that are easily accessible by public transportation from her house in Maryland.
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