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

[Anonymous]

Even a kid who like lots of activities needs a break though, downtime to just do whatever, go outsude and and have unstructured playtime ect

[Anonymous]

I think it's important for kids to feel boredom and know how to deal with it. It's a skill they have to learn, and learning it can allow kids to find and use their creativity.

But...these are my feelings, based in some educational theorists, and they feel right to me. It doesn't work for every family or kid, and I don't care if other families put their kids in 6 trillion things or not. I do judge people who force their kids to do a million things when the kids are unhappy with it, but that's not overscheduled as much as it is not honoring the child for who they are as a person

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it's important for kids to feel boredom and know how to deal with it. It's a skill they have to learn, and learning it can allow kids to find and use their creativity.

But...these are my feelings, based in some educational theorists, and they feel right to me. It doesn't work for every family or kid, and I don't care if other families put their kids in 6 trillion things or not. I do judge people who force their kids to do a million things when the kids are unhappy with it, but that's not overscheduled as much as it is not honoring the child for who they are as a person

I completely agree, activities are fine, but i think when it comes to a kid who wants to do alot, other things come into play. Id of course, let my kids do activities, but I think free time is very important.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Everyone says it's bad for kids to have too many structured extracurriculars, but why? My kid does two activities 3 days a week each and I don't see what's wrong with it. She loves the activities and isn't ready to choose between them yet. She also does an instrument that has a lesson once a week and she practices every day. When she's not at her activities she's having unstructured play -- she doesn't watch tv or have an iPad.

Is there any actual research that says having lots of activities is bad for kids?

That actually seem to bad to me, does she have free play time and unstructured play? If so, then thats good. It's when kids have no free time or unstructured time at all, then it's an issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone says it's bad for kids to have too many structured extracurriculars, but why? My kid does two activities 3 days a week each and I don't see what's wrong with it. She loves the activities and isn't ready to choose between them yet. She also does an instrument that has a lesson once a week and she practices every day. When she's not at her activities she's having unstructured play -- she doesn't watch tv or have an iPad.

Is there any actual research that says having lots of activities is bad for kids?

That actually seem to bad to me, does she have free play time and unstructured play? If so, then thats good. It's when kids have no free time or unstructured time at all, then it's an issue.

I don’t understand how she could have much free unstructured time during the week if she has 6 activity meetings per week, plus a lesson, plus daily practice. Unless she has a late bedtime and zero homework. Maybe she doesn’t do any activities on Saturday and Sunday? But most sports have weekend games.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Everyone says it's bad for kids to have too many structured extracurriculars, but why? My kid does two activities 3 days a week each and I don't see what's wrong with it. She loves the activities and isn't ready to choose between them yet. She also does an instrument that has a lesson once a week and she practices every day. When she's not at her activities she's having unstructured play -- she doesn't watch tv or have an iPad.

Is there any actual research that says having lots of activities is bad for kids?

sounds pretty tiger to me

[Anonymous]

I think it's also important that kids learn how to be bored and how to entertain themselves.

[Anonymous]

If you have to add tutoring to the list of activities then you've gone too far. Activities should never interfere with school work and adequate sleep.

I had an amusing conversation with a middle school parent who was complaining that her son's baseball schedule was making him fall behind in school and that she had to take him to Kumon. I was like, why don't you drop down to a rec league or pause sports. Some parents think sports is the only way to get admitted to college and forget that grades matter for everyone unless they are some 1 in a million prodigy. (Her son was no such prodigy.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone says it's bad for kids to have too many structured extracurriculars, but why? My kid does two activities 3 days a week each and I don't see what's wrong with it. She loves the activities and isn't ready to choose between them yet. She also does an instrument that has a lesson once a week and she practices every day. When she's not at her activities she's having unstructured play -- she doesn't watch tv or have an iPad.

Is there any actual research that says having lots of activities is bad for kids?

That actually seem to bad to me, does she have free play time and unstructured play? If so, then thats good. It's when kids have no free time or unstructured time at all, then it's an issue.

I don’t understand how she could have much free unstructured time during the week if she has 6 activity meetings per week, plus a lesson, plus daily practice. Unless she has a late bedtime and zero homework. Maybe she doesn’t do any activities on Saturday and Sunday? But most sports have weekend games. [/quote

You're right, when i first read the comment it didnt seem too bad, upon rereading it, it sounds like alot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone says it's bad for kids to have too many structured extracurriculars, but why? My kid does two activities 3 days a week each and I don't see what's wrong with it. She loves the activities and isn't ready to choose between them yet. She also does an instrument that has a lesson once a week and she practices every day. When she's not at her activities she's having unstructured play -- she doesn't watch tv or have an iPad.

Is there any actual research that says having lots of activities is bad for kids?

That actually seem to bad to me, does she have free play time and unstructured play? If so, then thats good. It's when kids have no free time or unstructured time at all, then it's an issue.

I don’t understand how she could have much free unstructured time during the week if she has 6 activity meetings per week, plus a lesson, plus daily practice. Unless she has a late bedtime and zero homework. Maybe she doesn’t do any activities on Saturday and Sunday? But most sports have weekend games.

Her activities might not be sports. Or maybe they are sports but she's not on a team. So maybe it's just gymnastics once a week, pottery once a week, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Even a kid who like lots of activities needs a break though, downtime to just do whatever, go outsude and and have unstructured playtime ect

If you have a kid like this, you'll find that they actively fill any extra time by volunteering themselves or setting up playdates. They seek to always be busy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you have to add tutoring to the list of activities then you've gone too far. Activities should never interfere with school work and adequate sleep.

I had an amusing conversation with a middle school parent who was complaining that her son's baseball schedule was making him fall behind in school and that she had to take him to Kumon. I was like, why don't you drop down to a rec league or pause sports. Some parents think sports is the only way to get admitted to college and forget that grades matter for everyone unless they are some 1 in a million prodigy. (Her son was no such prodigy.)

That doesn’t make a lot of sense. Kumon just sends more work home for the kids. If a kid was really falling behind that hour would be better spent just getting the homework done. Kumon wastes more time and sends extra work home, it’s not tutoring. Falling behind may be relative here, probably more like not being a full year ahead of peers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even a kid who like lots of activities needs a break though, downtime to just do whatever, go outsude and and have unstructured playtime ect

If you have a kid like this, you'll find that they actively fill any extra time by volunteering themselves or setting up playdates. They seek to always be busy.

I wouldn't have a problem overscheduling with playdates, although I dont think playdates are necessary, id be happy if my kids got lots of unstructured play/hang out time. Kids don't get enough imo.

[Anonymous]

Why are so many pro overscheduling? I really dont get it.

[Anonymous]

Op, is your marriage solid? Is there time for you and your DH to be together just the two of you? Is there time for DH to relax, you, and other members of the family? No one person (your child) should dictate the schedule for everyone in the family.