Help! Is My Child is Over-Scheduled?

I have been wondering lately, "Is my child over-scheduled?" Granted, she LOVES being busy. And there isn’t an activity out there that she doesn’t want to try. However, some weeks I feel like we are running from event to event, activity to activity, and it makes me wonder, are we over-scheduling our daughter? And if so, how do we determine what stays in the schedule and what goes?

Here are some good tips I found while researching over-scheduled child.

Signs You May Be Over-Scheduling Your Child:

- Your child tells you they don’t want to go do a special activity or practice repeatedly. They either may not like it as much you as think they do or they would rather have more time at home.

- You feel like your life is too hectic. If you are feeling that way, then your child is probably feeling that way, too.

- If you don’t see many blank days on the calendar, you may be over-scheduling yourself and your children. It is important to have “do nothing” days, or as we call them, “choose your own adventure” days.

- You find your vocabulary mainly consists of “hurry,” “let’s go,” and "come one, we are going to be late again.”

- Your child cannot figure out how to play alone during unscheduled free time.

Remember that over-scheduling distracts parents from what you are ultimately trying to create: a peaceful, loving home that makes you and your children happy.

If you have a few minutes, check out this article from www.parenthood.com. It is entitled, “When Kids Have Too Much To Do, They May Need Time to Do Nothing.” It is a very informative and thought-provoking article.