Are Your Kids Over Scheduled?

                                                                                                              photo by tOkKa

 photo by Baston

    Soon all the nation's schools will be back in session, changing the lives of everyone with children still in a school of any type.  My youngest recently left for college in Florida and that is a long way from Minnesota - hence a big change for all of us.

     Notebooks, pens and other school supplies are crowding out the garden sections in stores.  If you got your counter cleared off this summer - make way for the incoming notices, schedules and hot lunch money reminders.

      Driving by the football field, I see our Brainerd Warrior team already suited up and listening to a lecture on something.  In my daily walk on a quiet nature trail, I was passed by the girls' x-country team out on a  practice run.

     If you live in a community, like Brainerd, MN - there are so many clubs and sports teams to choose from that it would make you dizzy.  Now, that is just the school sponsored ones.  We have 4-H, church groups, Boy & Girl Scouts, private dance studios and martial arts.  I will stop there  - but that is just the beginning.

     Juggle those with homework, part time employment, social lives - who has time for chores at home and their family?

      Family Fun. com suggests staying in tune to how many activities your child can juggle and still get a good nights rest.  Sleep is one thing that most kids don't get enough of.

     Remember each child handles things differently, even within the same family. 

"Most of your children will not earn their living from sports or music careers. But hopefully you can help your kids cultivate lifelong interests that will provide many enjoyable hours away from the demands of academia and career. 

If you're signing your child up for one enrichment activity after another because you believe an early start will secure a lifelong interest or give your child the competitive edge in high school sports or music, think again. If you start a child in extracurriculars too early--before his body is developed to perform the skills required, before his mind is able to understand the strategy of a game or a musical concept, before his emotions can manage the pressure of competition and performance, or before he acquires the social skills to understand sportsmanship and the discipline of practice--you will turn him off to the activity instead of providing the benefits you might wish."

                                                                        - Jan Faull - a child development and behavior specialist 

               Realize that children and adults, as well, need a certain amount of downtime - it is called play!

                                     It is really nice, if they can do some of that together .