Are Your Kids Over-Scheduled?

Photo credit: katinalynn

Mine used to be.

They used to have after-school activities almost every day of the week, in addition to ice skating lessons on Sundays. We also tried to fit in play dates with friends, reading (required in their school every night) and of course, homework. There was very little unscheduled time left. They - no, we - were constantly running from one activity to the next. And it became too much.

This year, the kids have scheduled activities only three times a week. During the rest of the week they play with friends or just have unscheduled downtime and some free time to play. In essence, they have more time to be kids.

It’s not easy, though. The temptation to sign them up for just one more activity, one more sports group, is huge. We want to give our kids the best - teach them as much as we can - expose them to as many learning experiences as possible. The kids themselves often come to me with requests for more activities, stuff they see their friends doing. It’s difficult to say no, to set limits.

But free play is important for kids. They need to use their imagination, tap into their creativity, decide for themselves what to do next. When every minute is scheduled, they come to expect this scheduling, and then they are unable to keep themselves busy when they do get a little break from organized activities.

Another problem with over scheduling is that it stresses the entire family, because kids need to be driven to and from activities. Spending afternoons at home, playing, reading, baking together and just relaxing is far better in my opinion than spending them running around, driving kids from one activity to the next and getting home far too late to cook a decent dinner.

The best thing to do is probably to find a middle ground, a schedule that works for all family members, enriches your kids, but doesn’t put too much stress on them or on you. For us, that middle ground is three afternoons per week of scheduled activity. Each family is different, and your family’s ideal schedule is likely different than ours.

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UpToUs offers online groups for parents, where parents connect and organize their kids’ activities. Visit our website today to start a community for your classroom, sports team or any other trusted group.