Youth sports and over scheduling

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can eat that Indian for lunch

Ok this got weird

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It may be hard to define overscheduling, but no one can really give an answer as to why kids being so busy is a good thing

Busy doing what? If they're out playing with friends, they're "busy." If they're in bed reading, they're "busy." Do you have a prescribed amount of time per day that kids should spend meditating? Even then they're technically busy...

And I have no dog in this fight because my kids aren't overscheduled but you're just being ridiculous.

I'm not ridiculous, you know exactly what I mean by busy and overscheduling.

DP. Kids being busy keeps them out of trouble and helps them learn valuable skills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It may be hard to define overscheduling, but no one can really give an answer as to why kids being so busy is a good thing

Busy doing what? If they're out playing with friends, they're "busy." If they're in bed reading, they're "busy." Do you have a prescribed amount of time per day that kids should spend meditating? Even then they're technically busy...

And I have no dog in this fight because my kids aren't overscheduled but you're just being ridiculous.

I'm not ridiculous, you know exactly what I mean by busy and overscheduling.

DP. Kids being busy keeps them out of trouble and helps them learn valuable skills.

Overscheduled kids are not immune to getting into trouble. If they want to they will.

[Anonymous]

I think overscheduling is a hot button for me because I want to give at least a little bit of the old school childhood that I had.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think overscheduling is a hot button for me because I want to give at least a little bit of the old school childhood that I had.

Wanting to give your kids your childhood is a sign of narcissism, I mean… are I really that great?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think overscheduling is a hot button for me because I want to give at least a little bit of the old school childhood that I had.

Wanting to give your kids your childhood is a sign of narcissism, I mean… are I really that great?

Narcissism?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think overscheduling is a hot button for me because I want to give at least a little bit of the old school childhood that I had.

And you can do that. I had a childhood with no activities, and I grew up totally unathletic, unable to play an instrument, and with no real skills other than school. I'm trying to give me kid something different.

[Anonymous]

It's not narcissistic at all. I'm trying to give my kids something that was really great and I loved. I also think it's really good for them. I'm assuming overschedulees feel the same about activities

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think overscheduling is a hot button for me because I want to give at least a little bit of the old school childhood that I had.

And you can do that. I had a childhood with no activities, and I grew up totally unathletic, unable to play an instrument, and with no real skills other than school. I'm trying to give me kid something different.

You're assuming that kids need to be athletic and musical.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think overscheduling is a hot button for me because I want to give at least a little bit of the old school childhood that I had.

And you can do that. I had a childhood with no activities, and I grew up totally unathletic, unable to play an instrument, and with no real skills other than school. I'm trying to give me kid something different.

You're assuming that kids need to be athletic and musical.

+1. Whats so great about being athletic and playing an instrument? There is an overemphasis on sports and music. So your kid can play the cello? Or saxaphone? So what? Big deal. So your kid plays on his HS team? Big deal! It means nothing when it comes to other more important skills one needs to lead a happy, successful and fulfilling life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think overscheduling is a hot button for me because I want to give at least a little bit of the old school childhood that I had.

And you can do that. I had a childhood with no activities, and I grew up totally unathletic, unable to play an instrument, and with no real skills other than school. I'm trying to give me kid something different.

You're assuming that kids need to be athletic and musical.

+1. Whats so great about being athletic and playing an instrument? There is an overemphasis on sports and music. So your kid can play the cello? Or saxaphone? So what? Big deal. So your kid plays on his HS team? Big deal! It means nothing when it comes to other more important skills one needs to lead a happy, successful and fulfilling life.

I'm the PP who said I had a childhood with no activities. I'm "assuming" that based on my life experience of wishing I had those skills more than I do. I assume this is what we're all doing; taking the lessons I learned from my childhood and parenting based on that. Personally, I wanted to learn an instrument as an adult and it was hard. I wish I had been encouraged to try as a kid, so that's what my kid gets: encouragement and the opportunity to try things.

I also know people for whom playing sports or music is a big part of how they are happy and fulfilled. At a minimum, there's nothing about taking piano lessons or being on a basketball team, that keeps you from ALSO learning to be happy and fulfilled.

[Anonymous]

I don't know if it's a good thing if a kid needs activities to be happy and full filled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think overscheduling is a hot button for me because I want to give at least a little bit of the old school childhood that I had.

And you can do that. I had a childhood with no activities, and I grew up totally unathletic, unable to play an instrument, and with no real skills other than school. I'm trying to give me kid something different.

You're assuming that kids need to be athletic and musical.

+1. Whats so great about being athletic and playing an instrument? There is an overemphasis on sports and music. So your kid can play the cello? Or saxaphone? So what? Big deal. So your kid plays on his HS team? Big deal! It means nothing when it comes to other more important skills one needs to lead a happy, successful and fulfilling life.

I'm the PP who said I had a childhood with no activities. I'm "assuming" that based on my life experience of wishing I had those skills more than I do. I assume this is what we're all doing; taking the lessons I learned from my childhood and parenting based on that. Personally, I wanted to learn an instrument as an adult and it was hard. I wish I had been encouraged to try as a kid, so that's what my kid gets: encouragement and the opportunity to try things.

I also know people for whom playing sports or music is a big part of how they are happy and fulfilled. At a minimum, there's nothing about taking piano lessons or being on a basketball team, that keeps you from ALSO learning to be happy and fulfilled.

DP who also grew up unathletic and with minimal music, and same. People who grew up with basic rec sports and enough music have no idea what it feels like to be invited to an intramural game and really have no clue how the game goes, or to not have music appreciation. It's just really different.

You can still get lots of cool life skills without athletics or music, but you can also get life skills with them, and those skills happen to be valuable into adulthood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think overscheduling is a hot button for me because I want to give at least a little bit of the old school childhood that I had.

And you can do that. I had a childhood with no activities, and I grew up totally unathletic, unable to play an instrument, and with no real skills other than school. I'm trying to give me kid something different.

You're assuming that kids need to be athletic and musical.

+1. Whats so great about being athletic and playing an instrument? There is an overemphasis on sports and music. So your kid can play the cello? Or saxaphone? So what? Big deal. So your kid plays on his HS team? Big deal! It means nothing when it comes to other more important skills one needs to lead a happy, successful and fulfilling life.

I'm the PP who said I had a childhood with no activities. I'm "assuming" that based on my life experience of wishing I had those skills more than I do. I assume this is what we're all doing; taking the lessons I learned from my childhood and parenting based on that. Personally, I wanted to learn an instrument as an adult and it was hard. I wish I had been encouraged to try as a kid, so that's what my kid gets: encouragement and the opportunity to try things.

I also know people for whom playing sports or music is a big part of how they are happy and fulfilled. At a minimum, there's nothing about taking piano lessons or being on a basketball team, that keeps you from ALSO learning to be happy and fulfilled.

DP who also grew up unathletic and with minimal music, and same. People who grew up with basic rec sports and enough music have no idea what it feels like to be invited to an intramural game and really have no clue how the game goes, or to not have music appreciation. It's just really different.

You can still get lots of cool life skills without athletics or music, but you can also get life skills with them, and those skills happen to be valuable into adulthood.

What life skills do you mean?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think overscheduling is a hot button for me because I want to give at least a little bit of the old school childhood that I had.

Except that’s not really possible because of technology. I don’t have screens at home (well we watch tv but maybe once every month or two?) but you send a kid to a playdate or to school and he is on screens. They aren’t wandering into old construction sites and building forts and stuff every day like we did.