Run to soccer practice. Head to the band concert. Sueeze in haircuts for 3 after school and before baseball practice. Does this sound like your life? Run, run, run? Being busy is good – sometimes. But it is also good to slow it down a bit for everyone in your family. Make sure that as you run from games to practice to rehearsals, you are still taking time to smell the roses…if not something else.
The great part of growing up now is the choices that are offered. Our kids have way more activities to choose from after school and on the weekends than we did, which is great, but also burdensome. After all, there are still only so many hours in the day. Having options and being active is good, until it interferes with schoolwork and family life.
You know your schedule needs to be tamed back when there is more than one activitiy scheduled at the same time for the same kid (or adult). This might become a time when you have to limit your child and make them choose one activity. No one likes to limit their kid, but realistically, having them be over-tired and stimulated is not good for them either. Have them pick one sport at a time to focus on and then if they don’t like it, they can try another in the next season.
Set limits. If a coach wants your first grader to have a three hour practice, that’s fine. but it doesn’t mean you kid has to be in attendance the whole time. If you need to have a family meal that night, let your kid finish dinner and not cram it down their throat in order to make a practice. Down time is needed for kids too.
Play hookey. if your schedule has been going crazy for a few weeks, call a timeout. Pick a day that everyone can skip a practice or a rehearsal and go off somewhere. Play hookey from practice. Skip a meeting. Now, this isn’t to say we promote skipping out on responsibilities, but sometimes you know when a practice is extra, optional or just not needed. Family time is more important for those few hours. Take a drive. Walk the beach. Get back together and slow it down…until the next day when you jump back in to the routine with both feet.
