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From the chalkboard: No downside to downtime
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Anonymous user Tue Nov 30, 1999 00:00:00 PST
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0 responses 0 comments Several times each week, I look out of my front window to see tiny figures running back and forth under a bright light powered by a nosy generator.

Coaches yell encouragement to the participants, all of whom appear to be 5 years old or younger.

They are playing soccer.

While there are certainly many health benefits related to athletic activities, they can be very time-consuming. When you add music, dance, homework, scouting, church, activities and birthday parties, it becomes increasingly difficult unless you are a time-management expert –– difficult for parents as well as children.

Any parent who has ever had to shuttle his or her child back and forth to such activities knows it is not so easy to keep schedules on track.

As a longtime educator, I have become increasingly concerned with over-scheduling our children. Many times, education is taking a back seat while extra-curricular activities consume greater amounts of time.

The issue of over-scheduling is something that all parents need to be concerned about.

There is pressure to be sure we provide our kids with every opportunity to perform.
However, we do need to be sure we are not pushing so hard that they have little downtime to relax, unwind, spend time with the family and just be a kid.

My daughter related to me the other day a comment my grandson had made when she asked the family on a Friday night, "Well, what should we do tonight?"

He responded, "Can we just stay home and be a family?"

A very telling question.

Even an 8-year-old can crave "downtime." Just being with the family, no special agenda. Just whatever.

Of course, the secret is balance. All children are different and all have differing personalities and needs. The wise parent will recognize this and plan accordingly.

After all, this is childhood. Kids need a certain amount of unstructured time within or outside of other family members.

And let's be real –– most kids are not going to be major league baseball players or Olympic gymnasts. Activities, especially for the younger set, should be fun, enjoyable and not too time-consuming or competitive.

Be careful to watch for stress. Planning, preparing and juggling transportation, while coping with other issues of life, can create problems for everyone.

Every so often it is good to reevaluate things to make sure there is a proper balance between activities and downtime. And don't forget kids need at least eight to 10 hours of sleep each night, as well as regular, nutritious meals. If either of these two things is missing, it might be time to review your family priorities.

And remember, it's never too late to be the best parent possible.

Dick Ferris will write a regular education column for The Southwest Voice. He is a superintendent at Stockdale Christian School.

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