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Are there any parents out there who feel like kids today are way busier than we were at their age? It seems like between school, homework, and activities, they are rushing around all day long, rising early and getting to bed late, and you’re right there with them. Apparently, they need all of these things in order to be competitive for college, but when your 5th-grader isn’t getting to bed until midnight, you might start to wonder if the system is a bit flawed. However, you don’t want to deny them the fun activities they look forward to (sports, music, clubs, etc.) just because they have a pile of homework to attend to. Their academics are certainly important, but so is being a well-rounded individual (and having a little fun once in a while). So here are just a couple of tips to help them balance their busy schedules.
For starters, you may need to pare it down. While it’s great that your kids want to participate in different activities every day of the week, the truth is that it’s running them (and you) ragged. So get your active kids to decide on just one or two activities that they really love so that they have at least a couple of days a week where they’re getting a full night’s rest. As the parent, it’s your responsibility to set boundaries and ensure the health and safety of your kids; unfortunately that sometimes makes you the bad guy. But you don’t have to totally deprive your kids of fun activities; you just have to limit them. And if they complain or try to bargain, claiming that they can handle it all, just strike a deal.
There are a couple of ways you could go with this. One option is to have them try out a sport, an instrument, or some other extracurricular activity for a year. If they like it, they can continue. If they don’t they can try something else the next year. Of you can hold off until summer and let them go to a variety of camps for the activities they’re interested in. Of course, you could also say that if they are able to keep up with their homework and get to bed on time during this school year you can think about adding another activity to the schedule next year. You want your kids to have the opportunity to experience everything that interests them in life, but the truth is that you’re going to have to prioritize at some point. Nobody can do everything they want to, at least not RIGHT NOW. Compromise is really the name of the game and it’s a valuable lesson for kids of any age to learn.
So even if your kids want to tackle soccer, chess club, piano, and the strategic leadership program this school year, limit them to just one or two activities. This will ensure that they are able to keep up with everything while remaining healthy and happy, which is really the best you can hope for when it comes to raising competent, confident, and well-adjusted children.
I decided last year to limit my son to one activity at a time. Last year, he did karate three nights a week. This year, it’s Cub Scouts, because karate got too expensive. He wants to join other activities, but I know him, and if I start to cut into his “free to be a kid” time too much, he’ll hate all of them and end up quitting. Maybe when he gets a little older, I’ll let him do two at a time, but for now, this works best for us.