How many sports/activities does you child participate in?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Holee crap. Where is the unstructured time?!

There isn't. Have you seen your neighborhood? Where are the kids? Not playing, not biking, not running around in the woods, parks, getting dirty and creating new games. Learning how to navigate life, friendships, and more. You know, being kids!!! They are in academic classes, religious classes, language classes, travel sports at age 8. Swim lessons, piano lessons, private instrument lessons, private sports lessons etc.... Parents want to guide their kids like puppets into some bizarro perfect life they have in their mind. That leaves kids in organized activities or planned care for 10-12hrs a day? And they wonder why kids have ADHD, anxiety, depression, learning disabilities, and can't handle being on their own until they are 13+ years old. College suicides have quadrupled in the last 10 years. But they know a 2nd language, can follow a cult, and get straight A's so they will be just fine.

I'm with you. I often wonder why parents are signing their kids up for so much but then there is always the excuse that they are bored or need to burn off energy. So let the kids be bored and figure out how to entertain themselves. Let them go out and play. I don't get it, most of these kids won't go to college on scholarship and almost certainly they will not become professional athletes so what's the point?

They have fun and develop friends and skills like the importance of time management and discipline. It also builds confidence, develops focus, and teaches kids about emotional control. Also, research shows that children who play organized sports are frequently healthier and physically stronger than their less athletic peers — and they are smarter as well.

NP here. No one is saying one organized sport a season is a bad thing for kids. That is one practice a week and one game a week. The PP is talking about parents who have their kids in multiple activities that causes them to drive their multiple kids to multiple places every day. Kids usually end up spending more time in the car going to their own and sibling's activities than they actually do at their said activity. That is not healthy.

Kids need unstructured unsupervised play OUTSIDE. Most kids get very little, if any of that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:7 year old:

soccer
swimming
ballet
jazz
drama
modeling

5 year old
soccer
swimming
acting/modeling

Do you live in DC area or out of this area?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Holee crap. Where is the unstructured time?!

There isn't. Have you seen your neighborhood? Where are the kids? Not playing, not biking, not running around in the woods, parks, getting dirty and creating new games. Learning how to navigate life, friendships, and more. You know, being kids!!! They are in academic classes, religious classes, language classes, travel sports at age 8. Swim lessons, piano lessons, private instrument lessons, private sports lessons etc.... Parents want to guide their kids like puppets into some bizarro perfect life they have in their mind. That leaves kids in organized activities or planned care for 10-12hrs a day? And they wonder why kids have ADHD, anxiety, depression, learning disabilities, and can't handle being on their own until they are 13+ years old. College suicides have quadrupled in the last 10 years. But they know a 2nd language, can follow a cult, and get straight A's so they will be just fine.

I'm with you. I often wonder why parents are signing their kids up for so much but then there is always the excuse that they are bored or need to burn off energy. So let the kids be bored and figure out how to entertain themselves. Let them go out and play. I don't get it, most of these kids won't go to college on scholarship and almost certainly they will not become professional athletes so what's the point?

They have fun and develop friends and skills like the importance of time management and discipline. It also builds confidence, develops focus, and teaches kids about emotional control. Also, research shows that children who play organized sports are frequently healthier and physically stronger than their less athletic peers — and they are smarter as well.

NP here. No one is saying one organized sport a season is a bad thing for kids. That is one practice a week and one game a week. The PP is talking about parents who have their kids in multiple activities that causes them to drive their multiple kids to multiple places every day. Kids usually end up spending more time in the car going to their own and sibling's activities than they actually do at their said activity. That is not healthy.

Kids need unstructured unsupervised play OUTSIDE. Most kids get very little, if any of that.

Multiple sport family here.

My kids bike to most of their practices. How far do you think these things are? Also why would a sibling attend practice? That's really an odd assumption.

Also when exactly do you think these practices start? Try evening. What time do kids get home from school? Try 3pm. Do the math.

[Anonymous]

Feeling guilty after reading PPs.

6 yo - swim once a week. That's it.

Don't feel guilty. At all. Many would say you're doing the right thing. I posted our list of several activities, and I question if it's too much all the time.

Definitely do not feel guilty. When I read these lists all I think is "Jack of all trades, master of none"

How about you don't worry about what other people do with their kids, and let them deal with it? My son used to do a lot of different activities when he was younger, then he got more interested in swim team, and now we only do that (4 times a week). It is fine to be involved with a variety of different things when you are younger, you try stuff, figure out what you are interested in, and narrow it down based on that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Holee crap. Where is the unstructured time?!

There isn't. Have you seen your neighborhood? Where are the kids? Not playing, not biking, not running around in the woods, parks, getting dirty and creating new games. Learning how to navigate life, friendships, and more. You know, being kids!!! They are in academic classes, religious classes, language classes, travel sports at age 8. Swim lessons, piano lessons, private instrument lessons, private sports lessons etc.... Parents want to guide their kids like puppets into some bizarro perfect life they have in their mind. That leaves kids in organized activities or planned care for 10-12hrs a day? And they wonder why kids have ADHD, anxiety, depression, learning disabilities, and can't handle being on their own until they are 13+ years old. College suicides have quadrupled in the last 10 years. But they know a 2nd language, can follow a cult, and get straight A's so they will be just fine.

I'm with you. I often wonder why parents are signing their kids up for so much but then there is always the excuse that they are bored or need to burn off energy. So let the kids be bored and figure out how to entertain themselves. Let them go out and play. I don't get it, most of these kids won't go to college on scholarship and almost certainly they will not become professional athletes so what's the point?

They have fun and develop friends and skills like the importance of time management and discipline. It also builds confidence, develops focus, and teaches kids about emotional control. Also, research shows that children who play organized sports are frequently healthier and physically stronger than their less athletic peers — and they are smarter as well.

NP here. No one is saying one organized sport a season is a bad thing for kids. That is one practice a week and one game a week. The PP is talking about parents who have their kids in multiple activities that causes them to drive their multiple kids to multiple places every day. Kids usually end up spending more time in the car going to their own and sibling's activities than they actually do at their said activity. That is not healthy.

Kids need unstructured unsupervised play OUTSIDE. Most kids get very little, if any of that.

Multiple sport family here.

My kids bike to most of their practices. How far do you think these things are? Also why would a sibling attend practice? That's really an odd assumption.

Also when exactly do you think these practices start? Try evening. What time do kids get home from school? Try 3pm. Do the math.

Yes, where do you guys live that you have these long commutes to practices and you're dragging siblings along?
If this is the case, you need to re-evaluate your housing choices.

[Anonymous]

5 year old- none at the moment.

She just finished up a session of karate. When fall rolls around she can choose one activity that's within walking distance - options are karate, dance, soccer and yoga and she will start CCD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Holee crap. Where is the unstructured time?!

There isn't. Have you seen your neighborhood? Where are the kids? Not playing, not biking, not running around in the woods, parks, getting dirty and creating new games. Learning how to navigate life, friendships, and more. You know, being kids!!! They are in academic classes, religious classes, language classes, travel sports at age 8. Swim lessons, piano lessons, private instrument lessons, private sports lessons etc.... Parents want to guide their kids like puppets into some bizarro perfect life they have in their mind. That leaves kids in organized activities or planned care for 10-12hrs a day? And they wonder why kids have ADHD, anxiety, depression, learning disabilities, and can't handle being on their own until they are 13+ years old. College suicides have quadrupled in the last 10 years. But they know a 2nd language, can follow a cult, and get straight A's so they will be just fine.

I'm with you. I often wonder why parents are signing their kids up for so much but then there is always the excuse that they are bored or need to burn off energy. So let the kids be bored and figure out how to entertain themselves. Let them go out and play. I don't get it, most of these kids won't go to college on scholarship and almost certainly they will not become professional athletes so what's the point?

They have fun and develop friends and skills like the importance of time management and discipline. It also builds confidence, develops focus, and teaches kids about emotional control. Also, research shows that children who play organized sports are frequently healthier and physically stronger than their less athletic peers — and they are smarter as well.

NP here. No one is saying one organized sport a season is a bad thing for kids. That is one practice a week and one game a week. The PP is talking about parents who have their kids in multiple activities that causes them to drive their multiple kids to multiple places every day. Kids usually end up spending more time in the car going to their own and sibling's activities than they actually do at their said activity. That is not healthy.

Kids need unstructured unsupervised play OUTSIDE. Most kids get very little, if any of that.

Multiple sport family here.

My kids bike to most of their practices. How far do you think these things are? Also why would a sibling attend practice? That's really an odd assumption.

Also when exactly do you think these practices start? Try evening. What time do kids get home from school? Try 3pm. Do the math.

Yes, where do you guys live that you have these long commutes to practices and you're dragging siblings along?
If this is the case, you need to re-evaluate your housing choices.

So 8 year old kids are biking 6 blocks through Bethesda to soccer practice alone? B/c otherwise younger brother has to go along. Or are both parents home by practice time, that seems fairly rare unless you have SAHM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Holee crap. Where is the unstructured time?!

There isn't. Have you seen your neighborhood? Where are the kids? Not playing, not biking, not running around in the woods, parks, getting dirty and creating new games. Learning how to navigate life, friendships, and more. You know, being kids!!! They are in academic classes, religious classes, language classes, travel sports at age 8. Swim lessons, piano lessons, private instrument lessons, private sports lessons etc.... Parents want to guide their kids like puppets into some bizarro perfect life they have in their mind. That leaves kids in organized activities or planned care for 10-12hrs a day? And they wonder why kids have ADHD, anxiety, depression, learning disabilities, and can't handle being on their own until they are 13+ years old. College suicides have quadrupled in the last 10 years. But they know a 2nd language, can follow a cult, and get straight A's so they will be just fine.

I'm with you. I often wonder why parents are signing their kids up for so much but then there is always the excuse that they are bored or need to burn off energy. So let the kids be bored and figure out how to entertain themselves. Let them go out and play. I don't get it, most of these kids won't go to college on scholarship and almost certainly they will not become professional athletes so what's the point?

They have fun and develop friends and skills like the importance of time management and discipline. It also builds confidence, develops focus, and teaches kids about emotional control. Also, research shows that children who play organized sports are frequently healthier and physically stronger than their less athletic peers — and they are smarter as well.

NP here. No one is saying one organized sport a season is a bad thing for kids. That is one practice a week and one game a week. The PP is talking about parents who have their kids in multiple activities that causes them to drive their multiple kids to multiple places every day. Kids usually end up spending more time in the car going to their own and sibling's activities than they actually do at their said activity. That is not healthy.

Kids need unstructured unsupervised play OUTSIDE. Most kids get very little, if any of that.

Multiple sport family here.

My kids bike to most of their practices. How far do you think these things are? Also why would a sibling attend practice? That's really an odd assumption.

Also when exactly do you think these practices start? Try evening. What time do kids get home from school? Try 3pm. Do the math.

Yes, where do you guys live that you have these long commutes to practices and you're dragging siblings along?
If this is the case, you need to re-evaluate your housing choices.

So 8 year old kids are biking 6 blocks through Bethesda to soccer practice alone? B/c otherwise younger brother has to go along. Or are both parents home by practice time, that seems fairly rare unless you have SAHM.

Well, we have an AP and even then my kids still bike to practice. WE are a biking family and don't drive anywhere unless it is over 2 miles or we are in a rush. Even then, often my 6yr old is on our tag along bike and being pulled by an adult to practice.

Is biking 6 blocks for a 8yr old some sort of travesty? And if you are driving 6 blocks, which is very strange, is that what you consider a "long commute"?

Today I ran to the gym and back, so as you can imagine, I don't live in Bethesda, but definitely live in a congested area, considering I run to the gym and back and my kids bike to practice.

Maybe you are saying all of this is not doable for a working family who doesn't have at home childcare? At some point these kids can get themselves home and to practice on their own. I'm guessing you have little kids or something and work some sort of insane work schedule. That has nothing to do with sports. My work schedule is not going to cut into my kids opportunity and that is a choice I have made.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Holee crap. Where is the unstructured time?!

There isn't. Have you seen your neighborhood? Where are the kids? Not playing, not biking, not running around in the woods, parks, getting dirty and creating new games. Learning how to navigate life, friendships, and more. You know, being kids!!! They are in academic classes, religious classes, language classes, travel sports at age 8. Swim lessons, piano lessons, private instrument lessons, private sports lessons etc.... Parents want to guide their kids like puppets into some bizarro perfect life they have in their mind. That leaves kids in organized activities or planned care for 10-12hrs a day? And they wonder why kids have ADHD, anxiety, depression, learning disabilities, and can't handle being on their own until they are 13+ years old. College suicides have quadrupled in the last 10 years. But they know a 2nd language, can follow a cult, and get straight A's so they will be just fine.

I'm with you. I often wonder why parents are signing their kids up for so much but then there is always the excuse that they are bored or need to burn off energy. So let the kids be bored and figure out how to entertain themselves. Let them go out and play. I don't get it, most of these kids won't go to college on scholarship and almost certainly they will not become professional athletes so what's the point?

They have fun and develop friends and skills like the importance of time management and discipline. It also builds confidence, develops focus, and teaches kids about emotional control. Also, research shows that children who play organized sports are frequently healthier and physically stronger than their less athletic peers — and they are smarter as well.

NP here. No one is saying one organized sport a season is a bad thing for kids. That is one practice a week and one game a week. The PP is talking about parents who have their kids in multiple activities that causes them to drive their multiple kids to multiple places every day. Kids usually end up spending more time in the car going to their own and sibling's activities than they actually do at their said activity. That is not healthy.

Kids need unstructured unsupervised play OUTSIDE. Most kids get very little, if any of that.

Multiple sport family here.

My kids bike to most of their practices. How far do you think these things are? Also why would a sibling attend practice? That's really an odd assumption.

Also when exactly do you think these practices start? Try evening. What time do kids get home from school? Try 3pm. Do the math.

What is really an odd assumption is that you think everyone has practices/activities in biking location and your kids are old enough to do that on their own. It also an odd assumption that sports practices start after dinner. I have never seen any start after 6pm.


So lucky you that your kids can bike to their practices, ours are 15-30min away in the car depending on sport, location, and traffic. It is not worth driving back home for a 60min practice.

Siblings go because they can not stay at home alone and no one else is there. I have 3 kids under 9.

Practices for us are either 5 or 5:30pm. My kids come in from the bus stop at 3:55pm. That leaves us 45min or so to get a snack and do homework. We walk back in the door by 6:30-7pm and it is dinner and then it is too late to play outside. This is for one child's sport once a week. I do this for 2 out of 3 of my kids. The youngest is 5 and isn't in a sport yet. So the kids get 3 days off a week to play with friends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Holee crap. Where is the unstructured time?!

There isn't. Have you seen your neighborhood? Where are the kids? Not playing, not biking, not running around in the woods, parks, getting dirty and creating new games. Learning how to navigate life, friendships, and more. You know, being kids!!! They are in academic classes, religious classes, language classes, travel sports at age 8. Swim lessons, piano lessons, private instrument lessons, private sports lessons etc.... Parents want to guide their kids like puppets into some bizarro perfect life they have in their mind. That leaves kids in organized activities or planned care for 10-12hrs a day? And they wonder why kids have ADHD, anxiety, depression, learning disabilities, and can't handle being on their own until they are 13+ years old. College suicides have quadrupled in the last 10 years. But they know a 2nd language, can follow a cult, and get straight A's so they will be just fine.

I'm with you. I often wonder why parents are signing their kids up for so much but then there is always the excuse that they are bored or need to burn off energy. So let the kids be bored and figure out how to entertain themselves. Let them go out and play. I don't get it, most of these kids won't go to college on scholarship and almost certainly they will not become professional athletes so what's the point?

They have fun and develop friends and skills like the importance of time management and discipline. It also builds confidence, develops focus, and teaches kids about emotional control. Also, research shows that children who play organized sports are frequently healthier and physically stronger than their less athletic peers — and they are smarter as well.

NP here. No one is saying one organized sport a season is a bad thing for kids. That is one practice a week and one game a week. The PP is talking about parents who have their kids in multiple activities that causes them to drive their multiple kids to multiple places every day. Kids usually end up spending more time in the car going to their own and sibling's activities than they actually do at their said activity. That is not healthy.

Kids need unstructured unsupervised play OUTSIDE. Most kids get very little, if any of that.

Multiple sport family here.

My kids bike to most of their practices. How far do you think these things are? Also why would a sibling attend practice? That's really an odd assumption.

Also when exactly do you think these practices start? Try evening. What time do kids get home from school? Try 3pm. Do the math.

Yes, where do you guys live that you have these long commutes to practices and you're dragging siblings along?
If this is the case, you need to re-evaluate your housing choices.

So 8 year old kids are biking 6 blocks through Bethesda to soccer practice alone? B/c otherwise younger brother has to go along. Or are both parents home by practice time, that seems fairly rare unless you have SAHM.

Well, we have an AP and even then my kids still bike to practice. WE are a biking family and don't drive anywhere unless it is over 2 miles or we are in a rush. Even then, often my 6yr old is on our tag along bike and being pulled by an adult to practice.

Is biking 6 blocks for a 8yr old some sort of travesty? And if you are driving 6 blocks, which is very strange, is that what you consider a "long commute"?

Today I ran to the gym and back, so as you can imagine, I don't live in Bethesda, but definitely live in a congested area, considering I run to the gym and back and my kids bike to practice.

Maybe you are saying all of this is not doable for a working family who doesn't have at home childcare? At some point these kids can get themselves home and to practice on their own. I'm guessing you have little kids or something and work some sort of insane work schedule. That has nothing to do with sports. My work schedule is not going to cut into my kids opportunity and that is a choice I have made.

You are seriously an entitled douchebag. You have an AP!! We aren't all as rich as you who can hire someone to parent our kids, have flexible work schedules to "not cut into our kid's opportunities", and re-evaluate our housing location to live near sports fields that our kids may possibly bike to one day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Holee crap. Where is the unstructured time?!

There isn't. Have you seen your neighborhood? Where are the kids? Not playing, not biking, not running around in the woods, parks, getting dirty and creating new games. Learning how to navigate life, friendships, and more. You know, being kids!!! They are in academic classes, religious classes, language classes, travel sports at age 8. Swim lessons, piano lessons, private instrument lessons, private sports lessons etc.... Parents want to guide their kids like puppets into some bizarro perfect life they have in their mind. That leaves kids in organized activities or planned care for 10-12hrs a day? And they wonder why kids have ADHD, anxiety, depression, learning disabilities, and can't handle being on their own until they are 13+ years old. College suicides have quadrupled in the last 10 years. But they know a 2nd language, can follow a cult, and get straight A's so they will be just fine.

I'm with you. I often wonder why parents are signing their kids up for so much but then there is always the excuse that they are bored or need to burn off energy. So let the kids be bored and figure out how to entertain themselves. Let them go out and play. I don't get it, most of these kids won't go to college on scholarship and almost certainly they will not become professional athletes so what's the point?

They have fun and develop friends and skills like the importance of time management and discipline. It also builds confidence, develops focus, and teaches kids about emotional control. Also, research shows that children who play organized sports are frequently healthier and physically stronger than their less athletic peers — and they are smarter as well.

NP here. No one is saying one organized sport a season is a bad thing for kids. That is one practice a week and one game a week. The PP is talking about parents who have their kids in multiple activities that causes them to drive their multiple kids to multiple places every day. Kids usually end up spending more time in the car going to their own and sibling's activities than they actually do at their said activity. That is not healthy.

Kids need unstructured unsupervised play OUTSIDE. Most kids get very little, if any of that.

Multiple sport family here.

My kids bike to most of their practices. How far do you think these things are? Also why would a sibling attend practice? That's really an odd assumption.

Also when exactly do you think these practices start? Try evening. What time do kids get home from school? Try 3pm. Do the math.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Holee crap. Where is the unstructured time?!

There isn't. Have you seen your neighborhood? Where are the kids? Not playing, not biking, not running around in the woods, parks, getting dirty and creating new games. Learning how to navigate life, friendships, and more. You know, being kids!!! They are in academic classes, religious classes, language classes, travel sports at age 8. Swim lessons, piano lessons, private instrument lessons, private sports lessons etc.... Parents want to guide their kids like puppets into some bizarro perfect life they have in their mind. That leaves kids in organized activities or planned care for 10-12hrs a day? And they wonder why kids have ADHD, anxiety, depression, learning disabilities, and can't handle being on their own until they are 13+ years old. College suicides have quadrupled in the last 10 years. But they know a 2nd language, can follow a cult, and get straight A's so they will be just fine.

I'm with you. I often wonder why parents are signing their kids up for so much but then there is always the excuse that they are bored or need to burn off energy. So let the kids be bored and figure out how to entertain themselves. Let them go out and play. I don't get it, most of these kids won't go to college on scholarship and almost certainly they will not become professional athletes so what's the point?

They have fun and develop friends and skills like the importance of time management and discipline. It also builds confidence, develops focus, and teaches kids about emotional control. Also, research shows that children who play organized sports are frequently healthier and physically stronger than their less athletic peers — and they are smarter as well.

NP here. No one is saying one organized sport a season is a bad thing for kids. That is one practice a week and one game a week. The PP is talking about parents who have their kids in multiple activities that causes them to drive their multiple kids to multiple places every day. Kids usually end up spending more time in the car going to their own and sibling's activities than they actually do at their said activity. That is not healthy.

Kids need unstructured unsupervised play OUTSIDE. Most kids get very little, if any of that.

Multiple sport family here.

My kids bike to most of their practices. How far do you think these things are? Also why would a sibling attend practice? That's really an odd assumption.

Also when exactly do you think these practices start? Try evening. What time do kids get home from school? Try 3pm. Do the math.

What is really an odd assumption is that you think everyone has practices/activities in biking location and your kids are old enough to do that on their own. It also an odd assumption that sports practices start after dinner. I have never seen any start after 6pm.


So lucky you that your kids can bike to their practices, ours are 15-30min away in the car depending on sport, location, and traffic. It is not worth driving back home for a 60min practice.

Siblings go because they can not stay at home alone and no one else is there. I have 3 kids under 9.

Practices for us are either 5 or 5:30pm. My kids come in from the bus stop at 3:55pm. That leaves us 45min or so to get a snack and do homework. We walk back in the door by 6:30-7pm and it is dinner and then it is too late to play outside. This is for one child's sport once a week. I do this for 2 out of 3 of my kids. The youngest is 5 and isn't in a sport yet. So the kids get 3 days off a week to play with friends.

Sounds like a personal problem. So you're knocking others because you chose to live 30 mins out from activities and have 3 kids under 9. You did that to yourself. We do have practices start after 6 pm and some before (depends on sport). We can eat after practice if it starts before 6 pm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Holee crap. Where is the unstructured time?!

There isn't. Have you seen your neighborhood? Where are the kids? Not playing, not biking, not running around in the woods, parks, getting dirty and creating new games. Learning how to navigate life, friendships, and more. You know, being kids!!! They are in academic classes, religious classes, language classes, travel sports at age 8. Swim lessons, piano lessons, private instrument lessons, private sports lessons etc.... Parents want to guide their kids like puppets into some bizarro perfect life they have in their mind. That leaves kids in organized activities or planned care for 10-12hrs a day? And they wonder why kids have ADHD, anxiety, depression, learning disabilities, and can't handle being on their own until they are 13+ years old. College suicides have quadrupled in the last 10 years. But they know a 2nd language, can follow a cult, and get straight A's so they will be just fine.

I'm with you. I often wonder why parents are signing their kids up for so much but then there is always the excuse that they are bored or need to burn off energy. So let the kids be bored and figure out how to entertain themselves. Let them go out and play. I don't get it, most of these kids won't go to college on scholarship and almost certainly they will not become professional athletes so what's the point?

They have fun and develop friends and skills like the importance of time management and discipline. It also builds confidence, develops focus, and teaches kids about emotional control. Also, research shows that children who play organized sports are frequently healthier and physically stronger than their less athletic peers — and they are smarter as well.

NP here. No one is saying one organized sport a season is a bad thing for kids. That is one practice a week and one game a week. The PP is talking about parents who have their kids in multiple activities that causes them to drive their multiple kids to multiple places every day. Kids usually end up spending more time in the car going to their own and sibling's activities than they actually do at their said activity. That is not healthy.

Kids need unstructured unsupervised play OUTSIDE. Most kids get very little, if any of that.

Multiple sport family here.

My kids bike to most of their practices. How far do you think these things are? Also why would a sibling attend practice? That's really an odd assumption.

Also when exactly do you think these practices start? Try evening. What time do kids get home from school? Try 3pm. Do the math.

Yes, where do you guys live that you have these long commutes to practices and you're dragging siblings along?
If this is the case, you need to re-evaluate your housing choices.

So 8 year old kids are biking 6 blocks through Bethesda to soccer practice alone? B/c otherwise younger brother has to go along. Or are both parents home by practice time, that seems fairly rare unless you have SAHM.

Well, we have an AP and even then my kids still bike to practice. WE are a biking family and don't drive anywhere unless it is over 2 miles or we are in a rush. Even then, often my 6yr old is on our tag along bike and being pulled by an adult to practice.

Is biking 6 blocks for a 8yr old some sort of travesty? And if you are driving 6 blocks, which is very strange, is that what you consider a "long commute"?

Today I ran to the gym and back, so as you can imagine, I don't live in Bethesda, but definitely live in a congested area, considering I run to the gym and back and my kids bike to practice.

Maybe you are saying all of this is not doable for a working family who doesn't have at home childcare? At some point these kids can get themselves home and to practice on their own. I'm guessing you have little kids or something and work some sort of insane work schedule. That has nothing to do with sports. My work schedule is not going to cut into my kids opportunity and that is a choice I have made.

You are seriously an entitled douchebag. You have an AP!! We aren't all as rich as you who can hire someone to parent our kids, have flexible work schedules to "not cut into our kid's opportunities", and re-evaluate our housing location to live near sports fields that our kids may possibly bike to one day.

Jealous much? Maybe if you didn't have 3 kids under 9 you too could have an AP or at least not be stressed over your kid's activities such that you have to call people names on a message board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Holee crap. Where is the unstructured time?!

There isn't. Have you seen your neighborhood? Where are the kids? Not playing, not biking, not running around in the woods, parks, getting dirty and creating new games. Learning how to navigate life, friendships, and more. You know, being kids!!! They are in academic classes, religious classes, language classes, travel sports at age 8. Swim lessons, piano lessons, private instrument lessons, private sports lessons etc.... Parents want to guide their kids like puppets into some bizarro perfect life they have in their mind. That leaves kids in organized activities or planned care for 10-12hrs a day? And they wonder why kids have ADHD, anxiety, depression, learning disabilities, and can't handle being on their own until they are 13+ years old. College suicides have quadrupled in the last 10 years. But they know a 2nd language, can follow a cult, and get straight A's so they will be just fine.

I'm with you. I often wonder why parents are signing their kids up for so much but then there is always the excuse that they are bored or need to burn off energy. So let the kids be bored and figure out how to entertain themselves. Let them go out and play. I don't get it, most of these kids won't go to college on scholarship and almost certainly they will not become professional athletes so what's the point?

They have fun and develop friends and skills like the importance of time management and discipline. It also builds confidence, develops focus, and teaches kids about emotional control. Also, research shows that children who play organized sports are frequently healthier and physically stronger than their less athletic peers — and they are smarter as well.

NP here. No one is saying one organized sport a season is a bad thing for kids. That is one practice a week and one game a week. The PP is talking about parents who have their kids in multiple activities that causes them to drive their multiple kids to multiple places every day. Kids usually end up spending more time in the car going to their own and sibling's activities than they actually do at their said activity. That is not healthy.

Kids need unstructured unsupervised play OUTSIDE. Most kids get very little, if any of that.

Multiple sport family here.

My kids bike to most of their practices. How far do you think these things are? Also why would a sibling attend practice? That's really an odd assumption.

Also when exactly do you think these practices start? Try evening. What time do kids get home from school? Try 3pm. Do the math.

What is really an odd assumption is that you think everyone has practices/activities in biking location and your kids are old enough to do that on their own. It also an odd assumption that sports practices start after dinner. I have never seen any start after 6pm.


So lucky you that your kids can bike to their practices, ours are 15-30min away in the car depending on sport, location, and traffic. It is not worth driving back home for a 60min practice.

Siblings go because they can not stay at home alone and no one else is there. I have 3 kids under 9.

Practices for us are either 5 or 5:30pm. My kids come in from the bus stop at 3:55pm. That leaves us 45min or so to get a snack and do homework. We walk back in the door by 6:30-7pm and it is dinner and then it is too late to play outside. This is for one child's sport once a week. I do this for 2 out of 3 of my kids. The youngest is 5 and isn't in a sport yet. So the kids get 3 days off a week to play with friends.

what i don't understand is that you seem to recognize that your experience (number of kids, their arrival time from school, your commute time to practice) is not the same as those of other people.
And yet you uniformly said that putting kids in multiple sports is bad.

How about you do what works for you and those of us with short commutes to practice, au pairs, older kids, etc do what works for us!! Brilliant!!

[Anonymous]

Three kids. Oldest two do tennis, soccer, and lacrosse. Youngest does gymnastics, tennis, and rides horses.