What is overscheduled?

[Anonymous]

During the school year, DS did a sport per season with some overlap plus music lesson weekly and a Saturday 3 hour activity. Over the summer he will have camp until 2:45 and 1 activity twice a week, a sport once a week, and then I just added 30 minute swim lessons for safety. How much is too much? He gets lots of sleep, plays with friends, and doesn’t seem stressed, is enthusiastic about it all. He wanted to do another 2 weeks of sports camp and I said no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:During the school year, DS did a sport per season with some overlap plus music lesson weekly and a Saturday 3 hour activity. Over the summer he will have camp until 2:45 and 1 activity twice a week, a sport once a week, and then I just added 30 minute swim lessons for safety. How much is too much? He gets lots of sleep, plays with friends, and doesn’t seem stressed, is enthusiastic about it all. He wanted to do another 2 weeks of sports camp and I said no.

One is overscheduled if the load is causing the kids or the parents undue stress. If everyone is happy, your child's schedule aligns with your family's values, and no one else's opinion matters.

[Anonymous]

Overscheduling threads are wild. I'm participating in one on the sports forum. Alot of ppl don't acknowledge it as a real thing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Overscheduling threads are wild. I'm participating in one on the sports forum. Alot of ppl don't acknowledge it as a real thing

I think almost everyone agrees that overscheduling is by definition bad. However, the threshold for overscheduling is highly subjective. The folks on the sports board trying to impose their definition of overscheduling on every family are quite comical.

[Anonymous]

I admit we over scheduled this year. Weekly music lesson - necessitates daily practice. 2 days martial arts, 1 day ice skating, weekend language school on Saturdays (also means homework on weekdays). My kid loves all these but didn't get enough free time to just read which is their favorite activity. We also had then in aftercare before some activities since we WOH. Summer will be camp, swim and music.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I admit we over scheduled this year. Weekly music lesson - necessitates daily practice. 2 days martial arts, 1 day ice skating, weekend language school on Saturdays (also means homework on weekdays). My kid loves all these but didn't get enough free time to just read which is their favorite activity. We also had then in aftercare before some activities since we WOH. Summer will be camp, swim and music.

Even tigers need to rest

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Overscheduling threads are wild. I'm participating in one on the sports forum. Alot of ppl don't acknowledge it as a real thing

I think almost everyone agrees that overscheduling is by definition bad. However, the threshold for overscheduling is highly subjective. The folks on the sports board trying to impose their definition of overscheduling on every family are quite comical.

They're a different breed for sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Overscheduling threads are wild. I'm participating in one on the sports forum. Alot of ppl don't acknowledge it as a real thing

I think almost everyone agrees that overscheduling is by definition bad. However, the threshold for overscheduling is highly subjective. The folks on the sports board trying to impose their definition of overscheduling on every family are quite comical.

I’d like to know where people draw the line. An activity per week day? Never having two activities on one day? Certain number of hours per week?

[Anonymous]

There used to be this family that showed up at Saturday Suzuki violin class and their kids were in karate uniforms. If you don't have time to change your clothes before class, and or you have to go directly from one event to another, you're overscheduled. If you eat frequently meals in the car, overscheduled. If you as a parent fall asleep in the stands while watching practices, overscheduled. The year I got the electric blanket you could plug into the car so you could keep warm while hanging out the parking lot while a kid had an activity was memorable. In retrospect that should have been a sign.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I admit we over scheduled this year. Weekly music lesson - necessitates daily practice. 2 days martial arts, 1 day ice skating, weekend language school on Saturdays (also means homework on weekdays). My kid loves all these but didn't get enough free time to just read which is their favorite activity. We also had then in aftercare before some activities since we WOH. Summer will be camp, swim and music.

Even tigers need to rest

Lol true. Will regroup for next school year, but at least there is no time for whining for video games .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Overscheduling threads are wild. I'm participating in one on the sports forum. Alot of ppl don't acknowledge it as a real thing

I think almost everyone agrees that overscheduling is by definition bad. However, the threshold for overscheduling is highly subjective. The folks on the sports board trying to impose their definition of overscheduling on every family are quite comical.

They're a different breed for sure.

They seem to be a breed who would definitely define OP as overscheduled.

Meanwhile I have 3 kids each on a schedule similar to the one OP describes (camp is irregular in the summer, but otherwise 1 sport + 1 instrument is normal, plus occasional other things and a religious activity), and I consider us perfectly reasonable. I also consider smaller families who do much more per kid reasonable because their kids seem happy and relaxed and so do the parents. I also consider friends who do less reasonable because it works for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Overscheduling threads are wild. I'm participating in one on the sports forum. Alot of ppl don't acknowledge it as a real thing

I think almost everyone agrees that overscheduling is by definition bad. However, the threshold for overscheduling is highly subjective. The folks on the sports board trying to impose their definition of overscheduling on every family are quite comical.

I’d like to know where people draw the line. An activity per week day? Never having two activities on one day? Certain number of hours per week?

Two activities at a time max. Kids, imo don't have enough free time. For me personally, no travel anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Overscheduling threads are wild. I'm participating in one on the sports forum. Alot of ppl don't acknowledge it as a real thing

I think almost everyone agrees that overscheduling is by definition bad. However, the threshold for overscheduling is highly subjective. The folks on the sports board trying to impose their definition of overscheduling on every family are quite comical.

I’d like to know where people draw the line. An activity per week day? Never having two activities on one day? Certain number of hours per week?

It's a balancing act, isn't it? During the school year, my kids are happily busy with lots of activities. However, we also prioritize family time and relaxation. We take two weeks off every winter and four weeks off every summer to unwind at a vacation house. It's becoming more challenging each year, though, as the demands from coaches and activities increase.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Overscheduling threads are wild. I'm participating in one on the sports forum. Alot of ppl don't acknowledge it as a real thing

I think almost everyone agrees that overscheduling is by definition bad. However, the threshold for overscheduling is highly subjective. The folks on the sports board trying to impose their definition of overscheduling on every family are quite comical.

I’d like to know where people draw the line. An activity per week day? Never having two activities on one day? Certain number of hours per week?

Two activities at a time max. Kids, imo don't have enough free time. For me personally, no travel anything.

For me it will never be two at a time because he has cultural school on Saturdays, and then add a sport and music.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Overscheduling threads are wild. I'm participating in one on the sports forum. Alot of ppl don't acknowledge it as a real thing

I think almost everyone agrees that overscheduling is by definition bad. However, the threshold for overscheduling is highly subjective. The folks on the sports board trying to impose their definition of overscheduling on every family are quite comical.

I’d like to know where people draw the line. An activity per week day? Never having two activities on one day? Certain number of hours per week?

It. Depends. Based. On. Family.

- Do you have religious committments that will take up time?
- Do you have more kids than parents and need to deconflict or rely on others to get your kids places? If you are relying on others, are you 100% sure they are willing? Sometimes they truly are and it's fine, sometimes they really aren't and it's not. Or even just 2 kids but you both want to regularly be at everything for each of them?
- Do you count after school clubs as an activity? Just music? Just sports? What about things like Girl Scouts or LEGO clubs? Is it different if the activity is at school than if you have to drive your kid there?
- What kinds of opportunities are available to your kid during the school day?
- Are your kid's activities going to collide such that you let a team down or make it pointless for a teacher to give your kid lessons because they can't practice in between?
- Does your kid's chosen activity or activities require a lot of work outside of team practices or lessons?
- How many opportunities are available at your kids' school to do things people might normally consider extracurricular?
- How much homework does your kid have? How fast are they at that homework?
- Do you like to have time to cook really nice meals? To always eat together? Do you as a family spend a lot of time maintaining your own home? Do you have help?
- Do you have local grandparents or aunts and uncles who can help out and make things feel easier?

I mean, I could go on and on.