Reply to What are the classic components of an UMC or UC American childhood?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]The obsession with maintaining a full schedule of organized activities seems weird and stressful.[/quote]

I grew up UMC and I never had a full schedule of organized activities.  Neither did most of the people I grew up with, except for maybe some whose parents were obsessed with their kids doing everything.  The rest of us had a single passion, whether it was horseback riding, ice skating, sailing, golfing, tennis, etc., and we spent our time doing that plus our school work.  Other than tutors for standardized tests, we didn't spend hours toiling away at Kumon or whatever people use now.  My life was anything but weird and stressful.  In fact, given that none of us had to have jobs, we actually had quite a lot of time for social activities and relaxation and travel.[/quote]

I think being over scheduled is more a sign of the times than anything else. Kids in general are busier today than 20-30 years ago. [/quote]

Maybe for some kids.  I'm still UMC and my kids are focusing on a single sport that has the same time commitments it did when I did it growing up.  Maybe that's just my personality though - my parents always thought it was stupid to have kids do stuff they weren't genuinely interested in just to pad an application or resume, and I feel the same.  I know college admissions are now more competitive than they were 20 years ago when I applied (oof, more like almost 25 years), but I still wouldn't force my kids to play two instruments just to stand out.  I'd rather they enjoy their lives and end up at a college that's a good fit for them.  They have a lot of advantages in life as it is, and I personally don't care if they go to HYP.[/quote]

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