What's wrong with a kid being "overscheduled"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Over scheduling is good for most American parents because if they had to quietly sit with their spouse and kids you know they would go crazy.

None of this comes across as very genuine. Why do people care what other parents do with their spare time? It’s like the redshirting debate. They care because they fear their own kids are missing out, will be left behind in the dust, or that playmates can’t entertain their own bored kids giving them the downtime they, the parents want, but refuse to pay for or drive their kids to. Figure out how to entertain your bored kids without trying to drag everyone else down.

It’s hard to give kids a normal childhood when all the other kids around them aren’t around. This is not about giving myself downtime.

+1

Everyone can make their own choices and that's what's happening, obviously. No one is trying to pass some kind of ban on kid activities. People are also pointing out that yes this impacts the overall vibe and feel of a neighborhood, whether kids are available for unplanned play, etc. That is true and the comparison to redshirting is apt - there are impacts on other kids.

I don't see why anyone is denying that. You can still make whatever decisions are best for your family. No one is forcing you to take this other stuff into account.

It’s so obvious this faux concern was always about other people not knowing how to entertain their own kids and wanting free babysitting or entertianment. They are bragging that unscheduled kids are more creative and can handle boredom but that doesn’t really ring true. Just give your bored kids a book and move on. If another kid wants to dance or play the cello it’s not your business.

It's genuinely fascinating to see someone who sees people wanting their kids to have unstructured play and thinks they're trying to score free babysitting. If can't imagine how you survive with such a dismal view of the world.

Nobody is stopping your kid from unstructured play. Nobody cares what your kid is doing, it is you trying to bend everyone else to your will.

What is so wrong with unstructured play?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Over scheduling is good for most American parents because if they had to quietly sit with their spouse and kids you know they would go crazy.

None of this comes across as very genuine. Why do people care what other parents do with their spare time? It’s like the redshirting debate. They care because they fear their own kids are missing out, will be left behind in the dust, or that playmates can’t entertain their own bored kids giving them the downtime they, the parents want, but refuse to pay for or drive their kids to. Figure out how to entertain your bored kids without trying to drag everyone else down.

It’s hard to give kids a normal childhood when all the other kids around them aren’t around. This is not about giving myself downtime.

+1

Everyone can make their own choices and that's what's happening, obviously. No one is trying to pass some kind of ban on kid activities. People are also pointing out that yes this impacts the overall vibe and feel of a neighborhood, whether kids are available for unplanned play, etc. That is true and the comparison to redshirting is apt - there are impacts on other kids.

I don't see why anyone is denying that. You can still make whatever decisions are best for your family. No one is forcing you to take this other stuff into account.

It’s so obvious this faux concern was always about other people not knowing how to entertain their own kids and wanting free babysitting or entertianment. They are bragging that unscheduled kids are more creative and can handle boredom but that doesn’t really ring true. Just give your bored kids a book and move on. If another kid wants to dance or play the cello it’s not your business.

It's genuinely fascinating to see someone who sees people wanting their kids to have unstructured play and thinks they're trying to score free babysitting. If can't imagine how you survive with such a dismal view of the world.

DP.
On the contrary, I often provide free babysitting to get that unstructured play time with friends. It’s still hard to come by, and I’m allowed to be sad about that,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Over scheduling is good for most American parents because if they had to quietly sit with their spouse and kids you know they would go crazy.

None of this comes across as very genuine. Why do people care what other parents do with their spare time? It’s like the redshirting debate. They care because they fear their own kids are missing out, will be left behind in the dust, or that playmates can’t entertain their own bored kids giving them the downtime they, the parents want, but refuse to pay for or drive their kids to. Figure out how to entertain your bored kids without trying to drag everyone else down.

It’s hard to give kids a normal childhood when all the other kids around them aren’t around. This is not about giving myself downtime.

+1

Everyone can make their own choices and that's what's happening, obviously. No one is trying to pass some kind of ban on kid activities. People are also pointing out that yes this impacts the overall vibe and feel of a neighborhood, whether kids are available for unplanned play, etc. That is true and the comparison to redshirting is apt - there are impacts on other kids.

I don't see why anyone is denying that. You can still make whatever decisions are best for your family. No one is forcing you to take this other stuff into account.

It’s so obvious this faux concern was always about other people not knowing how to entertain their own kids and wanting free babysitting or entertianment. They are bragging that unscheduled kids are more creative and can handle boredom but that doesn’t really ring true. Just give your bored kids a book and move on. If another kid wants to dance or play the cello it’s not your business.

No, it would just be nice for kids to be able to see and play with their friends in an unorganized way, and not just constant organized activities. It has nothing to do with free babysitting and not being able to entertain your kids.

Yes, thank you. And my kid also takes cello and a sport. But he also has lots of downtime which I kept open so he can play and take risks and figure things out with other kids. It's turning out most of that play is by himself because kids are at activtiies 5x/week plus weekend sports.

[Anonymous]

My kids are getting a lot of unstructured play time every day at aftercare while we work. You could try that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Over scheduling is good for most American parents because if they had to quietly sit with their spouse and kids you know they would go crazy.

None of this comes across as very genuine. Why do people care what other parents do with their spare time? It’s like the redshirting debate. They care because they fear their own kids are missing out, will be left behind in the dust, or that playmates can’t entertain their own bored kids giving them the downtime they, the parents want, but refuse to pay for or drive their kids to. Figure out how to entertain your bored kids without trying to drag everyone else down.

It’s hard to give kids a normal childhood when all the other kids around them aren’t around. This is not about giving myself downtime.

+1

Everyone can make their own choices and that's what's happening, obviously. No one is trying to pass some kind of ban on kid activities. People are also pointing out that yes this impacts the overall vibe and feel of a neighborhood, whether kids are available for unplanned play, etc. That is true and the comparison to redshirting is apt - there are impacts on other kids.

I don't see why anyone is denying that. You can still make whatever decisions are best for your family. No one is forcing you to take this other stuff into account.

It’s so obvious this faux concern was always about other people not knowing how to entertain their own kids and wanting free babysitting or entertianment. They are bragging that unscheduled kids are more creative and can handle boredom but that doesn’t really ring true. Just give your bored kids a book and move on. If another kid wants to dance or play the cello it’s not your business.

It's genuinely fascinating to see someone who sees people wanting their kids to have unstructured play and thinks they're trying to score free babysitting. If can't imagine how you survive with such a dismal view of the world.

DP.
On the contrary, I often provide free babysitting to get that unstructured play time with friends. It’s still hard to come by, and I’m allowed to be sad about that,

We're lucky to be in a neighborhood where this isn't an issue (things could change as they get older). Kids are outside whenever it's not cold and hanging out at each others houses when its not. No one looks on that as "babysitting." Sometimes the parents are outside with the kids, usually chatting among themselves, (especially parents of younger kids, we've got a pretty big age range), but everyone looks after their own kids or lets their kid go unsupervised if they're old enough. Even when the kids are in our house, it's not really work; they're just playing. The kids mostly manage to do an activity or two, but no one is scheduled more than a night or two a week. It's a nice balance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Over scheduling is good for most American parents because if they had to quietly sit with their spouse and kids you know they would go crazy.

None of this comes across as very genuine. Why do people care what other parents do with their spare time? It’s like the redshirting debate. They care because they fear their own kids are missing out, will be left behind in the dust, or that playmates can’t entertain their own bored kids giving them the downtime they, the parents want, but refuse to pay for or drive their kids to. Figure out how to entertain your bored kids without trying to drag everyone else down.

It’s hard to give kids a normal childhood when all the other kids around them aren’t around. This is not about giving myself downtime.

+1

Everyone can make their own choices and that's what's happening, obviously. No one is trying to pass some kind of ban on kid activities. People are also pointing out that yes this impacts the overall vibe and feel of a neighborhood, whether kids are available for unplanned play, etc. That is true and the comparison to redshirting is apt - there are impacts on other kids.

I don't see why anyone is denying that. You can still make whatever decisions are best for your family. No one is forcing you to take this other stuff into account.

It’s so obvious this faux concern was always about other people not knowing how to entertain their own kids and wanting free babysitting or entertianment. They are bragging that unscheduled kids are more creative and can handle boredom but that doesn’t really ring true. Just give your bored kids a book and move on. If another kid wants to dance or play the cello it’s not your business.

No, it would just be nice for kids to be able to see and play with their friends in an unorganized way, and not just constant organized activities. It has nothing to do with free babysitting and not being able to entertain your kids.

Yes, thank you. And my kid also takes cello and a sport. But he also has lots of downtime which I kept open so he can play and take risks and figure things out with other kids. It's turning out most of that play is by himself because kids are at activtiies 5x/week plus weekend sports.

You're welcome, no one said activities are bad, but there does need to be a balance, id like kids to have a little bit of an old school childhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Over scheduling is good for most American parents because if they had to quietly sit with their spouse and kids you know they would go crazy.

None of this comes across as very genuine. Why do people care what other parents do with their spare time? It’s like the redshirting debate. They care because they fear their own kids are missing out, will be left behind in the dust, or that playmates can’t entertain their own bored kids giving them the downtime they, the parents want, but refuse to pay for or drive their kids to. Figure out how to entertain your bored kids without trying to drag everyone else down.

It’s hard to give kids a normal childhood when all the other kids around them aren’t around. This is not about giving myself downtime.

+1

Everyone can make their own choices and that's what's happening, obviously. No one is trying to pass some kind of ban on kid activities. People are also pointing out that yes this impacts the overall vibe and feel of a neighborhood, whether kids are available for unplanned play, etc. That is true and the comparison to redshirting is apt - there are impacts on other kids.

I don't see why anyone is denying that. You can still make whatever decisions are best for your family. No one is forcing you to take this other stuff into account.

It’s so obvious this faux concern was always about other people not knowing how to entertain their own kids and wanting free babysitting or entertianment. They are bragging that unscheduled kids are more creative and can handle boredom but that doesn’t really ring true. Just give your bored kids a book and move on. If another kid wants to dance or play the cello it’s not your business.

It's genuinely fascinating to see someone who sees people wanting their kids to have unstructured play and thinks they're trying to score free babysitting. If can't imagine how you survive with such a dismal view of the world.

Nobody is stopping your kid from unstructured play. Nobody cares what your kid is doing, it is you trying to bend everyone else to your will.

What is so wrong with unstructured play?

I’m wondering what age you are referring to?

My tennis kid has been playing tennis since he could hold a racquet. He is now in high school and wonders why we didn’t put him in MORE training.

My basketball kid played rec in elementary. He also wonders why we didn’t get him coaching and more training.

They play on their high school teams. They would play in our driveway or hit balls against our garage door when they weren’t at practice. This is their fun.

My kid after being at practice all day yesterday came home to shoot hoops at 10pm yesterday. When they were very young, they would pick up sticks, climb trees, play in the snow. We don’t even get snow. They are very good skiers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Over scheduling is good for most American parents because if they had to quietly sit with their spouse and kids you know they would go crazy.

None of this comes across as very genuine. Why do people care what other parents do with their spare time? It’s like the redshirting debate. They care because they fear their own kids are missing out, will be left behind in the dust, or that playmates can’t entertain their own bored kids giving them the downtime they, the parents want, but refuse to pay for or drive their kids to. Figure out how to entertain your bored kids without trying to drag everyone else down.

It’s hard to give kids a normal childhood when all the other kids around them aren’t around. This is not about giving myself downtime.

+1

Everyone can make their own choices and that's what's happening, obviously. No one is trying to pass some kind of ban on kid activities. People are also pointing out that yes this impacts the overall vibe and feel of a neighborhood, whether kids are available for unplanned play, etc. That is true and the comparison to redshirting is apt - there are impacts on other kids.

I don't see why anyone is denying that. You can still make whatever decisions are best for your family. No one is forcing you to take this other stuff into account.

It’s so obvious this faux concern was always about other people not knowing how to entertain their own kids and wanting free babysitting or entertianment. They are bragging that unscheduled kids are more creative and can handle boredom but that doesn’t really ring true. Just give your bored kids a book and move on. If another kid wants to dance or play the cello it’s not your business.

It's genuinely fascinating to see someone who sees people wanting their kids to have unstructured play and thinks they're trying to score free babysitting. If can't imagine how you survive with such a dismal view of the world.

Nobody is stopping your kid from unstructured play. Nobody cares what your kid is doing, it is you trying to bend everyone else to your will.

What is so wrong with unstructured play?

I’m wondering what age you are referring to?

My tennis kid has been playing tennis since he could hold a racquet. He is now in high school and wonders why we didn’t put him in MORE training.

My basketball kid played rec in elementary. He also wonders why we didn’t get him coaching and more training.

They play on their high school teams. They would play in our driveway or hit balls against our garage door when they weren’t at practice. This is their fun.

My kid after being at practice all day yesterday came home to shoot hoops at 10pm yesterday. When they were very young, they would pick up sticks, climb trees, play in the snow. We don’t even get snow. They are very good skiers.

Id say elementary to at least mid middle school i realize it starts to drop off then and high schoolers are usually doing other things

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Over scheduling is good for most American parents because if they had to quietly sit with their spouse and kids you know they would go crazy.

None of this comes across as very genuine. Why do people care what other parents do with their spare time? It’s like the redshirting debate. They care because they fear their own kids are missing out, will be left behind in the dust, or that playmates can’t entertain their own bored kids giving them the downtime they, the parents want, but refuse to pay for or drive their kids to. Figure out how to entertain your bored kids without trying to drag everyone else down.

It’s hard to give kids a normal childhood when all the other kids around them aren’t around. This is not about giving myself downtime.

+1

Everyone can make their own choices and that's what's happening, obviously. No one is trying to pass some kind of ban on kid activities. People are also pointing out that yes this impacts the overall vibe and feel of a neighborhood, whether kids are available for unplanned play, etc. That is true and the comparison to redshirting is apt - there are impacts on other kids.

I don't see why anyone is denying that. You can still make whatever decisions are best for your family. No one is forcing you to take this other stuff into account.

It’s so obvious this faux concern was always about other people not knowing how to entertain their own kids and wanting free babysitting or entertianment. They are bragging that unscheduled kids are more creative and can handle boredom but that doesn’t really ring true. Just give your bored kids a book and move on. If another kid wants to dance or play the cello it’s not your business.

It's genuinely fascinating to see someone who sees people wanting their kids to have unstructured play and thinks they're trying to score free babysitting. If can't imagine how you survive with such a dismal view of the world.

Nobody is stopping your kid from unstructured play. Nobody cares what your kid is doing, it is you trying to bend everyone else to your will.

What is so wrong with unstructured play?

I’m wondering what age you are referring to?

My tennis kid has been playing tennis since he could hold a racquet. He is now in high school and wonders why we didn’t put him in MORE training.

My basketball kid played rec in elementary. He also wonders why we didn’t get him coaching and more training.

They play on their high school teams. They would play in our driveway or hit balls against our garage door when they weren’t at practice. This is their fun.

My kid after being at practice all day yesterday came home to shoot hoops at 10pm yesterday. When they were very young, they would pick up sticks, climb trees, play in the snow. We don’t even get snow. They are very good skiers.

Id say elementary to at least mid middle school i realize it starts to drop off then and high schoolers are usually doing other things

So my boys tried soccer, orchestra, band, art, scouts, baseball, swim, you name it, they tried it if they were interested. Some of the activities were in school. They were all with friends. Some friends we already knew. Others they made during the activity. If the kid never tries the activity, how would they know what they like or dislike?

Every kid is different. My boys love sports. They are very active. I also have a child in elementary school. The kids who often don’t do sports play a ton of video games. I know Roblox is very popular. My elementary child is in many activities and also enjoys reading. We have little to no screen time in our house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Over scheduling is good for most American parents because if they had to quietly sit with their spouse and kids you know they would go crazy.

None of this comes across as very genuine. Why do people care what other parents do with their spare time? It’s like the redshirting debate. They care because they fear their own kids are missing out, will be left behind in the dust, or that playmates can’t entertain their own bored kids giving them the downtime they, the parents want, but refuse to pay for or drive their kids to. Figure out how to entertain your bored kids without trying to drag everyone else down.

It’s hard to give kids a normal childhood when all the other kids around them aren’t around. This is not about giving myself downtime.

+1

Everyone can make their own choices and that's what's happening, obviously. No one is trying to pass some kind of ban on kid activities. People are also pointing out that yes this impacts the overall vibe and feel of a neighborhood, whether kids are available for unplanned play, etc. That is true and the comparison to redshirting is apt - there are impacts on other kids.

I don't see why anyone is denying that. You can still make whatever decisions are best for your family. No one is forcing you to take this other stuff into account.

It’s so obvious this faux concern was always about other people not knowing how to entertain their own kids and wanting free babysitting or entertianment. They are bragging that unscheduled kids are more creative and can handle boredom but that doesn’t really ring true. Just give your bored kids a book and move on. If another kid wants to dance or play the cello it’s not your business.

No, it would just be nice for kids to be able to see and play with their friends in an unorganized way, and not just constant organized activities. It has nothing to do with free babysitting and not being able to entertain your kids.

Yes, thank you. And my kid also takes cello and a sport. But he also has lots of downtime which I kept open so he can play and take risks and figure things out with other kids. It's turning out most of that play is by himself because kids are at activtiies 5x/week plus weekend sports.

You might also consider that a lot of families (at least in my experience) don't really do weekday playdates even if their kid doesn't have a scheduled activity that day (i.e., even if their kid is not over scheduled). Like what I see a lot is kids might have a structured activity three weekday afternoons a week, two weekdays a week are rest/down time/ learn to entertain yourself days, and weekends are filled with playdates, playgrounds, and other unstructured friend time. That's how some families get a balance of all three -- each of which are beneficial to kids in different ways.

One benefit of structured activities that I will just tout is that they often provide a safe, low-stakes arena to struggle and fail. Where are your kids actually experiencing the power of productive struggle and bouncing back from failure?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Over scheduling is good for most American parents because if they had to quietly sit with their spouse and kids you know they would go crazy.

None of this comes across as very genuine. Why do people care what other parents do with their spare time? It’s like the redshirting debate. They care because they fear their own kids are missing out, will be left behind in the dust, or that playmates can’t entertain their own bored kids giving them the downtime they, the parents want, but refuse to pay for or drive their kids to. Figure out how to entertain your bored kids without trying to drag everyone else down.

It’s hard to give kids a normal childhood when all the other kids around them aren’t around. This is not about giving myself downtime.

+1

Everyone can make their own choices and that's what's happening, obviously. No one is trying to pass some kind of ban on kid activities. People are also pointing out that yes this impacts the overall vibe and feel of a neighborhood, whether kids are available for unplanned play, etc. That is true and the comparison to redshirting is apt - there are impacts on other kids.

I don't see why anyone is denying that. You can still make whatever decisions are best for your family. No one is forcing you to take this other stuff into account.

It’s so obvious this faux concern was always about other people not knowing how to entertain their own kids and wanting free babysitting or entertianment. They are bragging that unscheduled kids are more creative and can handle boredom but that doesn’t really ring true. Just give your bored kids a book and move on. If another kid wants to dance or play the cello it’s not your business.

No, it would just be nice for kids to be able to see and play with their friends in an unorganized way, and not just constant organized activities. It has nothing to do with free babysitting and not being able to entertain your kids.

Yes, thank you. And my kid also takes cello and a sport. But he also has lots of downtime which I kept open so he can play and take risks and figure things out with other kids. It's turning out most of that play is by himself because kids are at activtiies 5x/week plus weekend sports.

You might also consider that a lot of families (at least in my experience) don't really do weekday playdates even if their kid doesn't have a scheduled activity that day (i.e., even if their kid is not over scheduled). Like what I see a lot is kids might have a structured activity three weekday afternoons a week, two weekdays a week are rest/down time/ learn to entertain yourself days, and weekends are filled with playdates, playgrounds, and other unstructured friend time. That's how some families get a balance of all three -- each of which are beneficial to kids in different ways.

One benefit of structured activities that I will just tout is that they often provide a safe, low-stakes arena to struggle and fail. Where are your kids actually experiencing the power of productive struggle and bouncing back from failure?

By playing in mud boo

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Over scheduling is good for most American parents because if they had to quietly sit with their spouse and kids you know they would go crazy.

None of this comes across as very genuine. Why do people care what other parents do with their spare time? It’s like the redshirting debate. They care because they fear their own kids are missing out, will be left behind in the dust, or that playmates can’t entertain their own bored kids giving them the downtime they, the parents want, but refuse to pay for or drive their kids to. Figure out how to entertain your bored kids without trying to drag everyone else down.

It’s hard to give kids a normal childhood when all the other kids around them aren’t around. This is not about giving myself downtime.

+1

Everyone can make their own choices and that's what's happening, obviously. No one is trying to pass some kind of ban on kid activities. People are also pointing out that yes this impacts the overall vibe and feel of a neighborhood, whether kids are available for unplanned play, etc. That is true and the comparison to redshirting is apt - there are impacts on other kids.

I don't see why anyone is denying that. You can still make whatever decisions are best for your family. No one is forcing you to take this other stuff into account.

It’s so obvious this faux concern was always about other people not knowing how to entertain their own kids and wanting free babysitting or entertianment. They are bragging that unscheduled kids are more creative and can handle boredom but that doesn’t really ring true. Just give your bored kids a book and move on. If another kid wants to dance or play the cello it’s not your business.

It's genuinely fascinating to see someone who sees people wanting their kids to have unstructured play and thinks they're trying to score free babysitting. If can't imagine how you survive with such a dismal view of the world.

Nobody is stopping your kid from unstructured play. Nobody cares what your kid is doing, it is you trying to bend everyone else to your will.

You sound completely insane, you realize that right?

Says the parent whose kids childhood is ruined because the neighbor is busy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Over scheduling is good for most American parents because if they had to quietly sit with their spouse and kids you know they would go crazy.

None of this comes across as very genuine. Why do people care what other parents do with their spare time? It’s like the redshirting debate. They care because they fear their own kids are missing out, will be left behind in the dust, or that playmates can’t entertain their own bored kids giving them the downtime they, the parents want, but refuse to pay for or drive their kids to. Figure out how to entertain your bored kids without trying to drag everyone else down.

It’s hard to give kids a normal childhood when all the other kids around them aren’t around. This is not about giving myself downtime.

+1

Everyone can make their own choices and that's what's happening, obviously. No one is trying to pass some kind of ban on kid activities. People are also pointing out that yes this impacts the overall vibe and feel of a neighborhood, whether kids are available for unplanned play, etc. That is true and the comparison to redshirting is apt - there are impacts on other kids.

I don't see why anyone is denying that. You can still make whatever decisions are best for your family. No one is forcing you to take this other stuff into account.

It’s so obvious this faux concern was always about other people not knowing how to entertain their own kids and wanting free babysitting or entertianment. They are bragging that unscheduled kids are more creative and can handle boredom but that doesn’t really ring true. Just give your bored kids a book and move on. If another kid wants to dance or play the cello it’s not your business.

It's genuinely fascinating to see someone who sees people wanting their kids to have unstructured play and thinks they're trying to score free babysitting. If can't imagine how you survive with such a dismal view of the world.

Nobody is stopping your kid from unstructured play. Nobody cares what your kid is doing, it is you trying to bend everyone else to your will.

What is so wrong with unstructured play?

What is so wrong with a kid who likes to do other things? Open the door and let your kids run free. Why do you spend so much time talking about it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Over scheduling is good for most American parents because if they had to quietly sit with their spouse and kids you know they would go crazy.

None of this comes across as very genuine. Why do people care what other parents do with their spare time? It’s like the redshirting debate. They care because they fear their own kids are missing out, will be left behind in the dust, or that playmates can’t entertain their own bored kids giving them the downtime they, the parents want, but refuse to pay for or drive their kids to. Figure out how to entertain your bored kids without trying to drag everyone else down.

It’s hard to give kids a normal childhood when all the other kids around them aren’t around. This is not about giving myself downtime.

+1

Everyone can make their own choices and that's what's happening, obviously. No one is trying to pass some kind of ban on kid activities. People are also pointing out that yes this impacts the overall vibe and feel of a neighborhood, whether kids are available for unplanned play, etc. That is true and the comparison to redshirting is apt - there are impacts on other kids.

I don't see why anyone is denying that. You can still make whatever decisions are best for your family. No one is forcing you to take this other stuff into account.

It’s so obvious this faux concern was always about other people not knowing how to entertain their own kids and wanting free babysitting or entertianment. They are bragging that unscheduled kids are more creative and can handle boredom but that doesn’t really ring true. Just give your bored kids a book and move on. If another kid wants to dance or play the cello it’s not your business.

It's genuinely fascinating to see someone who sees people wanting their kids to have unstructured play and thinks they're trying to score free babysitting. If can't imagine how you survive with such a dismal view of the world.

Nobody is stopping your kid from unstructured play. Nobody cares what your kid is doing, it is you trying to bend everyone else to your will.

What is so wrong with unstructured play?

What is so wrong with a kid who likes to do other things? Open the door and let your kids run free. Why do you spend so much time talking about it?

Nothing is wrong with a kid who likes other things, but, imo, they need free time and free play. Just like you most likely think thet need activities

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Anonymous wrote:Over scheduling is good for most American parents because if they had to quietly sit with their spouse and kids you know they would go crazy.

None of this comes across as very genuine. Why do people care what other parents do with their spare time? It’s like the redshirting debate. They care because they fear their own kids are missing out, will be left behind in the dust, or that playmates can’t entertain their own bored kids giving them the downtime they, the parents want, but refuse to pay for or drive their kids to. Figure out how to entertain your bored kids without trying to drag everyone else down.

It’s hard to give kids a normal childhood when all the other kids around them aren’t around. This is not about giving myself downtime.

+1

Everyone can make their own choices and that's what's happening, obviously. No one is trying to pass some kind of ban on kid activities. People are also pointing out that yes this impacts the overall vibe and feel of a neighborhood, whether kids are available for unplanned play, etc. That is true and the comparison to redshirting is apt - there are impacts on other kids.

I don't see why anyone is denying that. You can still make whatever decisions are best for your family. No one is forcing you to take this other stuff into account.

It’s so obvious this faux concern was always about other people not knowing how to entertain their own kids and wanting free babysitting or entertianment. They are bragging that unscheduled kids are more creative and can handle boredom but that doesn’t really ring true. Just give your bored kids a book and move on. If another kid wants to dance or play the cello it’s not your business.

It's genuinely fascinating to see someone who sees people wanting their kids to have unstructured play and thinks they're trying to score free babysitting. If can't imagine how you survive with such a dismal view of the world.

Nobody is stopping your kid from unstructured play. Nobody cares what your kid is doing, it is you trying to bend everyone else to your will.

You sound completely insane, you realize that right?

Says the parent whose kids childhood is ruined because the neighbor is busy.

No one said that, but its hard to believe that a kid who lives in a neighborhood full of kids never wants time to play or hang out with them.