Here’s a great article on how we have to be careful about overscheduling our kids. We all want to enrich their lives, give them a broad scope of experiences; but how much is TOO much? I know things were a little simpler back in our childhoods, with a lot less choices to be made. And if you factor in the TV and internet informational bombardment that kids face every day, there’s certainly something to be said for down time. I know we’re guilty of it…trying to find that balance of cool activity vs. simple play or family time. Shuttling your kids to activities every day eats into the simple pleasures of wrestling them, playing a game, reading a book.
I certainly think kids can take a lot more in than we give them credit for. Our Katie had actual homework in Kindergarten, coming home with a worksheet or a project all the time, and I heard countless times the old “when I was a kid, we never did that!” I agree to some extent, but mostly I thought “good! They SHOULD be getting something in Kindergarten.” Seriously, all I remember was building blocks and finding out I could draw better than the other kids. And that’s it! I think the problem is we didn’t push our kids AT ALL back in the day, but today, we have to worry about pushing them too far. It’s hard or impossible for kids to express stress or being overwhelmed, so we have to keep our eyes on their behavior and their schedules.
The other point the article makes is how your kids’ schedules affect you and your spouse. We often feel that we live our whole lives for our kids, but is that healthy? I like the advice they give you on planes about the oxygen masks…put YOURS on first, because if you’re passed out, you’re not going to be much help to anyone. The same is true of parenting; mom and dad need time to themselves and as a couple. It’s great that Johny is taking Karate, French, Bulgarian Folk Dancing, origami, and ostrich farming lessons…but what’s happening to Mom and Dad?
Read the article and discuss!
What do YOU think? Do you worry about overstimulating your kids? How do you know if they’re feeling fatigued by it? How many activities a week can they handle? And how does it affect your relationship with your spouse?
The guys over at Wired’s Geek Dad blog have all the fun! I’ve always been a big Alan Parsons Project fan from way back. When I discovered their music, I was actually unaware of his resume…it wasn’t until later I found out he was the producer behind albums like Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon,” and the Beatles “Abbey Road,” both of which would cement his status in the rock and roll stratosphere. I just knew I loved many of the Alan Parsons Project songs, and have found him to be an interesting, but rare interview.
