You have heard of the mom who refers to her car as the taxi cab for her children. Children today have so many opportunities for extra-curricular activities that it is easy to become overwhelmed by the hectic schedules. It gets to be hard on the parent and exhausting for the child. The motivation behind your child’s activities may be the result of peer pressure or everyone’s feeling of ‘missing out’ on something. It all leads to too much of a good thing.
The parent needs to watch their child for signs of being too overloaded with activities that can be harmful rather than a very positive thing for them. If their grades are dropping, the enjoyment they once felt in the activity is diminishing, they are always very tired or even exhausted or depressed, and they have pains in their stomach or body aches or headaches, the parent needs to take action.
A schedule that is too active can takes its toll on the family structure and the close friendships that your child has developed. Everyone gets tired out and stressed and it feels like there are just not enough hours in the day. When this happens, the parent needs to intervene and keep the activities to moderation. This may mean an activity that needs to be dropped over one that is more age appropriate for your child and is more of an improvement to their development.
Sometimes it helps to have a calendar of events posted where everyone can clearly see all their activities. Keep one day marked off on the calendar that will be designated as a ‘family day’. Plan something that your family can do together where the whole family can bond and get rejuvenated. These will be memory building days that will play a positive role in your child’s development.
Parents, you need to be firm. The day will come when your child will ask for yet another activity. Say ‘no’ when you know it will just be too much for them and the family in general. Take a little time to examine your child’s schedule. If it really is a problem, sit down with your child and between the two of you make a decision how to trim the activities to a more manageable routine.
