Your kid are busy, aren't they?
They're, arguably, busier than you, aren't they?
Yea...that's not a good thing.
We all know why it happens. Your kids have multiple interests, you want to expose them to a variety of fields, you want their college applications to look awesome, etc.
Now, some of those reasons are innocent and understandable. Exposure to experiences and multiple interests is not bad, in itself. But, does your 8-year-old really need to be getting ready for Yale?
Justin Worsham of The Dad Podcast thinks that all of this exposure might be a bit much.
"Personally I think the focus on experiences is over rated. I took piano, cello, and violin. But am not a musician. Now I agree with the argument that I know that because I did it and quickly realized it isn’t my passion. And we all will have passions in life, but very few of us are able to turn those passions into jobs. Less and less kids are getting jobs partly due to a lack of time because of homework and extra curricular activities. Then they leave college to enter the work force with little to no idea how to get a job, work for someone, or any kind of real life experiences.
I think today's parents want their kids to have experiences, and leave no time for them to hone life skills.
I played football, played instruments, and took karate, but the thing that defines my childhood and the person I grew up to be was the paper route my dad made me get when I was 9. I learned responsibility, punctuality, customer service, money management, about banking, how to be an entrepreneur, and so much more, all while getting paid and listening to my favorite morning show while I worked. That is a microcosm of what we grow up to do."
Learn more about overscheduled kids at Pew Research Center
Learn the signs of overscheduling at Real Simple
Learn how to slow down their schedule at Becoming Minimalist
To hear more of Justin's take on overscheduling your kids, and other parenting topics, you can check out all of his stuff at The Dad Podcast
Check out his latest episode with Alec Lace from the First Class Fatherhood Podcast about parenting today, suburban rage, and the moment of the week.