The Decibel
How many activities are too many for kids?
Jan 6, 2025
In this engaging conversation, Amberly McAteer, a parenting columnist for The Globe and Mail, dives into the issue of overscheduling kids. She reveals how an overloaded schedule can lead to heightened anxiety and depression in children. With insights into the historical pressures parents face, Amberly advocates for the importance of downtime and family time. She also discusses practical strategies for recognizing and managing overscheduling, emphasizing that quality family interactions, like shared meals, enhance children's development over a packed activity calendar.
20:58
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Quick takeaways
- Overscheduling kids can lead to negative mental health outcomes, highlighting the importance of balancing structured activities with downtime.
- Experts emphasize the value of unstructured family time, which fosters essential life skills and contributes positively to children's future success.
Deep dives
Understanding Overscheduling
Overscheduling refers to the feeling of being stretched too thin, which can manifest in both parents and children feeling overwhelmed by numerous activities. Many parents, like the one mentioned in the podcast, find their children enrolled in multiple extracurriculars, sometimes leading to stress rather than enrichment. An example discussed involved a five-year-old balancing five different activities, where the child expressed her dislike of the rushed pace over her love for ballet, highlighting the awareness children can have about their limits. Recognizing this feeling of stress is crucial for families to evaluate the balance of activities in their lives.
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