Over Scheduled Kids by Joella Baker
As our kids get ready for their Fall sport season, it's important as parents that we keep an eye on how our kids are responding to the pressures of crazy schedules and tough workouts. It's certainly not easy. We all get caught up in getting from one sport to the next or to music lessons, or family functions. Finding down time when the kids can just be kids may be hard to come by. I know I fall into this trap personally. The schedules our families have to keep at times makes it tough on all of us and trying to find a good balance and make sure we're all getting the rest we need and time to just decompress.
Stacy DeBroff, author of Sign Me Up! The Parents' Complete Guide to Sports, Activities, Music Lessons, Dance Classes, and Other Extracurricular, explains.
Parents need to be on the look out for symptoms such as:
· Irritability
· Restlessness
· Combativeness
· Feelings of dejection
· Apathy
· Fatigue
· Inability to concentrate or sleep often emanates from overscheduling and relentlessly intense weekly schedules, pressure to excel, or a combination of both
Other signs of stress include:
· Uncharacteristic tantrums
· Headaches and stomachaches
· Loss of appetite
· Stress or depression
· Being lethargic or unmotivated
· Falling behind in schoolwork, being exhausted or withdrawn all the time, refusing to go to practice, intense anxiety before competitions or performances, irritability, misbehavior, moodiness, and aggressiveness
If your child dreads going to an activity or practice, this should raise an immediate red flag.
Talk with your child about how he or she's doing. Does he or she wish they had more time hanging out around the house? More spontaneous play dates like bringing a friend home from school? Time to be alone? Sleeping in? Playing with kids next door? Curling up with a book and reading during the day for pleasure? Ask open-ended questions to allow him or her to vent.
· Irritability
· Restlessness
· Combativeness
· Feelings of dejection
· Apathy
· Fatigue
· Inability to concentrate or sleep often emanates from overscheduling and relentlessly intense weekly schedules, pressure to excel, or a combination of both
Other signs of stress include:
· Uncharacteristic tantrums
· Headaches and stomachaches
· Loss of appetite
· Stress or depression
· Being lethargic or unmotivated
· Falling behind in schoolwork, being exhausted or withdrawn all the time, refusing to go to practice, intense anxiety before competitions or performances, irritability, misbehavior, moodiness, and aggressiveness
If your child dreads going to an activity or practice, this should raise an immediate red flag.
Talk with your child about how he or she's doing. Does he or she wish they had more time hanging out around the house? More spontaneous play dates like bringing a friend home from school? Time to be alone? Sleeping in? Playing with kids next door? Curling up with a book and reading during the day for pleasure? Ask open-ended questions to allow him or her to vent.
These are all great signs to watch out for, but remember. Don't ask the questions unless you plan to listen to your child and respond to what they need. Finding out they need a break and not giving them the break will only lead to resentment.
Hopefully we all will learn to look out for the warning signs and give our kids the break they need when they need it. It won't be easy, but in the long run it will make for a much happier child and family.