Visit Oh! BabyOpinionated Parenting

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

I don't think anyone would advocate that a parent stay in the house with their kid 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Everyone would go insane, and eventually there would be nothing left to eat or drink.

That said, it's nutty to have your kid so scheduled that they feel like they have to do stuff each and every day. Too much activity can stress your kids out. Giving your child just one, single hour of downtime per day--as Laid-Off Dad aims for--is just not enough. In our household, entire mornings often disappear while Toddler in Chief wanders from his "parking lot" of matchbox cars, to his bin of books, to squat by the window and marvel at the squirrel nibbling on a nut, or to wait for the next airplane to glide by in the distance.

Waiting, sitting, observing the world at a slow pace is a wonderful skill that I hope TIC has the luxury to hone throughout his lifetime. Being able to sit back and enjoy the world around us is a dying art, especially when we live so quickly that we can't remember what we did--on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.

Eventually TIC's days will be filled with school, after-school programs, and a team-related activity that includes a uniform with a number stitched on the back. I'm not in any rush to wind him up to watch him go--it will happen soon enough.

Going to the museum, the zoo, swim class, or music class should not be a mandatory tick in the daily checklist. Living life at a slower pace makes those things a treat to be relived at bedtime and beyond. Those things are special, not required appointments.

Permalink | Activity Overload | Comments (3)

Comments

I agree. Moderation is definitely the name of the game. If our schedule gets too crazy, everyone ends up being in a bad mood. What's the point of taking the fun out of activities that are supposed to be enjoyable? Sometimes less is definitely more.

Posted by: Ann D | Oct 20, 2005 6:07:14 PM

As a parent to four children, it is very difficult to meet the demands of my children, let alone consider a schedule for each.

Two of my children play soccer and one is a girl scout, while my oldest school work load and club activities after school leave very little time as it is.

The youngest, well, she's basically grown up in our minivan and is used to going along for the ride.

But, when it comes to down time, there are no exceptions...because it usually means that mom is also down for the count, too!

On the other hand, I know of families who have children that, seriuosly, "need to keep busy."

I'm happy with the way our day flows and I believe that, as long as I don't focus too much on keeping up with the Jones', it is important that both children and their parents are happy and that balance is the key.

Good luck to all us parenting types, in this fast-paced world, we certainly need it!

Posted by: Lizzie | Oct 20, 2005 7:35:32 PM

Here in Malaysia (and also Singapore) there is a term called "kiasu". It means "don't want to lose". Parents are pressuring their children and bombarding them with enrichment activities because they do not want to have "inferior" kids.
I believe we have to be sensitive to our children. Some strive on the activities, some prefer the laid back style. Do we ask them if it's what they want? Or are we too busy with what we want? Opening opportunities to children is good, but don't live your dreams through them.

Posted by: Lian | Oct 21, 2005 1:14:15 AM

The comments to this entry are closed.