Extracurricular Time Crunch

My kids were really keen to sign up for activities at the start of the fall. Now they’re complaining that they want more time to just do nothing. Now should I handle this?

Here's what I suggest: Look at how jam-packed your kids' schedules have become and consider whether they have enough time for fun and relaxation (that old-fashioned kind of play that kids tend to refer to as "doing nothing"). If kids don't have enough downtime, they can start seeing scheduled activities like soccer, piano lessons, and gymnastics as a total drag, even if these are activities they normally enjoy.

If it turns out that your kids would benefit from a pared down schedule, take solace in the fact that yours isn't the only family dealing with scheduling overload. There's been a marked generational shift on this front. A 1998 study at the University of Michigan found that the current generation of kids has less free time than kids in generations past. Back in 1981, kids could count on having about 40% of their time left for play. By 1998, just 25% of kids' time was unscheduled.

Next, look for ways to start paring down your kids' schedules. Keep in mind that kids don't have to take advantage of every possible extra-curricular activity all at the same time. Maybe your kids can put gymnastics on the back-burner for a session while they focus on art—or vice versa.

Realize that each of your kids is likely to have his or her own individual activity saturation point—something that isn't necessarily tied to age. You know your kids best, so you're in the best position to decide how many activities—and what types of activities—they can reasonably juggle in a week, while still leaving them with time for just being a kid.