Are Children Overscheduled?

I had a very active childhood. I was busy year round participating in some type of extra curricular activity. At the age of seven, I started playing tackle football and baseball. I also participated in track and field during the summer and was on a bowling team during the winter. Combined with playing outside (something that doesn’t happen so much in this generation) for as long as we were able, these activities provided me a numerous opportunities to develop social and athletic skills as well as sufficient activity for physical fitness.

I never felt as if I were doing too much. School, sports, etc. I enjoyed every minute of it, and each activity was something that I wanted to participate in. Unfortunately, there are many kids growing up today that are overscheduled with respect to extra curricular activities. During the past 15 years or so, it is not out of the ordinary for a child to have school work, music lessons, and participate on two athletic teams during the same season!

There are certainly benefits to extracurricular activities. However, too many activities can be overwhelming especially if the child has no desire to participate in some of the activities, and the parent is forcing them to do so. This is often the result of parents wanting to provide their child/children with opportunities they did not have.

Finding the appropriate balance is key. Some children can manage, and some can't. Your child’s schedule should be appropriately filled with activities they want to be a part of. Rushing a child between too many activities can be mentally and physically exhausting and have a detrimental effect on their emotional state of being. Allow your child take the reigns and decide how much or little to be involved in activities. Parents can all the necessary support in addition to knowing when the number of extracurricular activities should be reduced?

Do you think some children are over scheduled?