Am I Overscheduling My Child?
Source: Education.com
Topics: Outside the Classroom, Scheduling and Time Management, Nature and the Outdoors, Nature Deficit Disorder, Green Living
Topics: Outside the Classroom, Scheduling and Time Management, Nature and the Outdoors, Nature Deficit Disorder, Green Living
Parents are limiting children’s freedom to play outside.1
- The hurried pace of society is deleting play, especially outdoor play, from the childhood experience.2
- Organized activities, while having their own rightful place in a child’s life, are not the same as free, self-selected, spontaneous play, play that is unorganized and unstructured by an adult. It is during this unstructured time that children unwind, relax, focus, and refresh. 2
- During free time children develop leadership and conflict resolution skills. Nobody benefits from over-scheduling. Children can feel as though the focus on activities, instead of on their individuality, is an unspoken criticism of their abilities.3
- Research shows that families trying to maintain this type of schedule tend to have increased anxiety-related disorders and depression, in both children and parents.3
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