IT"S GREAT for children to have hobbies -but sometimes they can cost their parents a fortune.

New research shows that one in 10 parents are shelling out up to £2,000 a year on their kids ' extra-curricular activities,with 7 per cent paying out even more than that.

A study by Abbey Loans shows that the average parent is spending £800 a year on their children 's hobbies,with ball sports like football being the most commonly funded activity.

One in 10 parents are helping their child improve their education by paying for after hours tuition,and music lessons are the most popular arts hobby, paid for by 26 per cent of the parents surveyed,followed by dancing,acting and modelling.

Many parents are forking out in the hope that their child will one day turn their hobby into a profession - but chasing those young dreams means financial sacrifices.Indeed,23 per cent of parents have sold items at auction or on eBay to help fund their child 's hobby,22 per cent have taken extra jobs,and others have taken out a bank loan or gone up to the limit on their credit card.

But is such financial sacrifice necessary?

While it depends on the activity and the amount of free coaching available,in the case of football it can be money well spent,says FA Skills project manager Nick Levett.

"There 's definitely a need to provide this additional service,particularly in the primary sector where there 's no sport- specific or PE-trained staff.

"There 's also variable quality in terms of junior football club provision,with many not having access to training facilities and thus only playing games."

He points out that football isn 't a National Curriculum requirement,and is classed as an invasion game ',a category in which schools can offer several other sports instead.

But he warns:"If parents are paying for additional football opportunities,these should be high quality with qualified coaches,and not the opportunity for a creche facility."

And academic tutoring is also worth the sacrifice,insists Brendan Anderson of the Tutors Association.

"Parents want the best for their children.The education system in this country is excellent and many systems are in place to meet children 's needs,but home tuition is another excellent resource open to parents to help meet the full potential of their children."

He says home tuition costs vary from £20 to £25 per hour depending on the level of tuition needed,and adds:"In my experience parents and teachers have always been impressed by the jump in progression children make after just one home tuition session."

And while all parents would love to see such progression in their children,the key is to weigh up the benefits against the sacrifices,says Angela Holland from the parenting helpline Parentline Plus.

"Parents want to give their children all the advantages and skills they can -they just want the best for them,but they need to get the balance right."

She points out that parents can be asked to take their kids to activities virtually every day of the week,but often don 't have the time or money.But they shouldn 't feel bad about it,she says.

"Think of all the other things you do for your kids anyway.It 's good for them to have unstructured time to just do their own thing as well.

"And remember,children can be quite fickle,so make sure they show real commitment to a sport or hobby before you start shelling out."