Are kids too BUSY today?

Here are some quick thoughts about this topic:

Overscheduling can lead to stress, burn-out and physical ailments.

Many kids experience activity overload from a young age - below the age of 5.

Kids needs down-time today to relax. They are busier in adult-initiated activities than kids of past generations.

Boredom is okay but many parents hate it. The worst thing that their kids can say is, “I’m bored!”

Lack of family and parent well-being is the overlooked side-effect of overscheduled kids.

Often parents provide opportunities for kids to develop and do things as kids that they couldn’t.

Busy also means staying out of trouble.

Do kids always have to be productive with their time? I don’t think so. Much gained by doing little.

Parents can easily confuse a good start in life with an early start or a busy start.

It is good for kids’ mental health to have downtime and just ‘stare into the fire.’

An office straw poll about how many activities kids should do revealed that 2 extra-curricular activities per week is about the average.

When kids begin a new activity then they should be encouraged to drop one – a good life skill.

Part of the solution for busyness is to create some down-time for kids – when kids don’t do adult-initiated activities. Kids need to have some time when they can control what they do.

Down-time is good for mental health and good for imagination stimulation.

A US study showed an inordinate amount of kids dropping out of sports at 11 due to burnout.By 15 70 per cent had dropped out of their favourite sport.

Ideas for parents:

1. Develop a healthy skeptism about latest fads etc.

2. Buyer’s beware: lot of vested commercial interests in keeping kids occupied

3. Let kids be kids – don’t always have to be productive.

4. Leave spaces in the calendar for downtime.

5. Encourage kids to swap around activities in childhood – football one season, soccer the next.

6. Balance between down and busy time

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