Children need to balance human doing with
human being – Paula Bloom, clinical psychologist.
There is a lot of talk about the overscheduled
child and if it is myth or legend. Most
experts agree that what families need to look for is the balance of after school
activities along with family time. Children
need enough time without any activities, parents need enough time with no work
and the two sides need time to come together to create activities of their own.
Spending time with your child with no goal in
mind will communicate to your child that you love them. And if a child feels
loved, life can present them with hardships, but setbacks will never defeat
them.
Children benefit from having well-rounded
experiences outside of academics. This
gives them the opportunity to hone skills and work together with other
children. If you’re wondering if your
child is overscheduled, replay some mental pictures of them over the past
week. If all of your images are of them
going from one activity to the next, doing homework, practicing an instrument –
and there aren’t many moments of quiet and relaxation along with free play time
then your child is too busy. Look for
signs of irritability or grumpiness, which may also show that your child’s
schedule is out of whack.
When choosing after school activities, know
where the motivation is coming from, you or your child. If your child continues to be excited about
the activity then you have found the right match for them. One of the surest signs that a kid is
overscheduled is when what used to be fun isn’t fun anymore. Parents have to be in touch with their own
feelings as well to ensure that they are not communicating that exemplary
performance is the only goal that matters.
Children have to learn that the process of learning something new is as
important as the end result. The bottom
line is that regardless of how many activities you schedule for your children,
make sure you schedule time for yourself to be with them.
Sources:
www.realsimple.com
http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/08/living/overscheduled-busy-children/
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.