Nowadays more and more parents are overwhelmed. One of the first areas I look at is at their kids’ schedules. Most of the time, children are over scheduled and have very little down time. Whether it be going to sports, music class, or a play date, when you add that to going to school all day, it ends up being a lot.
Tired after a long day at work and at school, then it’s rush rush rush to make dinner and get the kids out of the house to go somewhere. Then rush through homework. Rush through bed time… hurry, hurry, hurry! It’s no wonder kids act out, are stressed, overwhelmed and are disconnected from their parents.
Kim John Payne, the author of Simplicity Parenting covers 4 main areas in family life that can be improved upon. The subtitle of the book is “Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids“. There you go… the book cover says it all. So I thought I’d share with you quotes from various parts of the book, and this may spike your curiosity and make you want to buy the book to learn more.
In this post, I will cover his chapter on Schedules. So here are the quotes, I hope these pieces of wisdom make you reflect… and ponder.
Too many scheduled activities may limit a child’s ability to motivate and direct themselves.
Activity without downtime is ultimately – like a plant without roots- unsustainable.
Bringing more awareness and balance to a child’s schedule can better serve his or her needs.
More than a simple pleasure, anticipation is identity-building.
To fully appreciate “the ordinary” is an extraordinary gift.
The “messiness” of free play, with its many changes and possibilities, builds an inner flexibility. A child’s love of an activity is not enough to protect him or her from the effects of pursuing it too much, and too soon.
Food for thought… are your kids over scheduled? Do they have down time? Or are they busy from morning till bedtime? Children need a balance between busy times and break times… think about it… so do we !
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