Overbooked schedules

School, boy scouts, soccer, baseball, violin lessons, homework...wait did we eat dinner? Children's schedules have become so jammed packed lately that the question, "Is this healthy for my child?" is raised. The question of whether busy schedules are acceptable or absurd is an on-going debate. Some people believe that kids need time to be kids, and some people believe that kids should be occupied at all hours of the day. Both sides make valid points.

          While researching this topic I came across a true-life scenario. A nine-year old boy named Kevin was anxious, having trouble sleeping at night, and was always complaining that he was tired. His mom took him to the doctors but they found nothing wrong with him. The doctor suggested his mother to bring him to a psychologist. When she talked to the psychologist he asked her about Kevin’s schedule. She informed him that he was involved in three sports teams, church activities, boy scouts, and took two piano classes a week (all on top of school). He suggested that this schedule was too stressful for a child. He also said (not to the mother) that Kevin may be on the brink of clinical depression. The mother denied his accusations but when he spoke in private with Kevin, Kevin confided that he missed being able to just play with the other kids and do normal activities like ride his bike. This scenario raises the questions of "Is this schedule too stressful?" "Is this the reason why Kevin was having problems?" "Can Kevin be developing stress at the age of 9?" Many people who argue that children's schedules are over-booked would answer YES to all these questions. These people believe that schedules similar to Kevin's schedule cause many mental disorders and health problems for children.

On the other-hand, there are people who argue that kids are not "over-booked." A family science professor wrote that, “We found that the very active children were thriving emotionally,” and“In contrast, children who had the fewest activities were the most withdrawn, socially immature and had the lowest self-esteem.” Many argue that children need busy schedules to keep them out of trouble and to learn discipline. Also people believe that busy schedules prepare their children for the future.

As for myself, I am split with this issue. I understand both sides and both sides are valid. I feel that children need to be on a schedule but the schedule should also consist of  a “down time" time slot. Children have their whole adult-life ahead of them to be stressed out and they don't need to be stressed out at the age of nine. But, at the same time children need to learn at a young age that there are always going to be tasks that they don't want to do but need to do. Extracurricular activities are very important but there needs to be a proper balance in order for success and proper health. Also children need time to do their homework; if their schedules are overbooked then they will not have time to study and do their homework. There is no simple answer to this question because children need to be looked at individually because some kids may be able to handle many tasks and some may cave underneath the pressure. A great solution would be constant communication between the child and parent and a healthy grasp on time management.


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32573893/ns/health-childrens_health/t/overbooked-kids-nah-its-parents-who-stress/

http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200301/the-overbooked-child

http://kidshealth.org/parent/growth/growing/child_too_busy.html