Many parents struggle with knowing the right balance of activities for their children. Sure, you don’t want them to miss out on a wonderful opportunity, but you also do not want them to feel overloaded with their other numerous obligations. There’s nothing worse than overscheduling your children and having them feel completely overwhelmed and overworked, as you’ve probably experienced at one point or another during your adult years. So, what are the dangers of having an overscheduled child? Read on below to find out more:
It Leads to Serious Burnout.
When a person is burned out, they feel overwhelmed by what others expect them to accomplish, and children are no different. When they have little to no downtime, they, like adults, have a high chance of experiencing burnout. In other words, you need to know where to draw the line when your child has too many expectations placed upon them and is feeling overtired or overworked. If they have too many activities outside of schoolwork, for instance, this is one area that likely needs to be downsized. An overworked child will present various symptoms, like irritability, headaches, rebellion, and so forth. Do not hesitate to reach out to a professional if your child is displaying severe burnout symptoms already.
It Kills Playtime and Thus, Creativity.
Kids need time to just be kids. When their schedules are filled with ballet, soccer, and music lessons, and they only take a break for dinner and bedtime, they are overscheduled. Children need free time after school. If they are hopping from one activity or hobby to the next, they miss out on necessary downtime, and their creativity will decrease from lack of playtime. Believe it or not, there are six major developmental benefits that children get from playtime: creativity, social skills, cognitive development, physical development, communication skills, and emotional development. Children, who do not play, are obviously missing out on all of these benefits, and their schedules should be re-evaluated.
It Disregards Healthy Eating Habits and Family Bonding.
Any parent, who is busy chauffeuring their kid, or multiple children, to different activities, knows how tempting fast food can become – it’s easy, quick, and mindless in terms of preparation and execution. However, the staple is hamburgers and French fries, and these options cannot help your child – or even you – thrive nutritionally. The practice of quick meals on the go also cancels out the notion of the family dinnertime. Since there are certain nights of the week that your children have practices, you will, perhaps, eat separately, depending upon what schedules allow. When a child’s activities are scheduled every evening, then that family time at the dinner table gets lost, which can be detrimental to family bonding.
The Westport Apartments in Norfolk, Virginia goes out of our way to ensure that you live the lifestyle you have always desired and deserved. These helpful tips go beyond the scope of services we offer in our community to provide you with a more efficient routine.