Free Time:
Kids Corner

Aired on Superstation WGN
Saturday, May 21 and August 20, 2005
Show 213

Kids' calendars today are filled with so many activities. It seems their only free time at home is at night, when they're in bed asleep. Free time among three to 12 year olds has decreased by 12 hours a week. Yet time involved in organized sports has more than doubled. From roughly two and half hours a week to over five hours a week. Sure a variety of activities can cultivate a child's interests and talent and make them well rounded. But over scheduling your child can actually have the opposite affect. Children can feel burned out and actually show signs of stress and anxiety. So how much is too much? One way to tell is to watch them during a time when nothing is planned. An over scheduled child will not know what to do when nothing is planned. And sometimes these kids have problems with concentration and even with sleeping. How do you strike a healthy balance? First, school and homework should take top priority in your children's lives. Then help them find several structured activities that they really enjoy and concentrate on those. Finally, encourage unstructured playtime for your children. It'll help develop their imagination and that's an essential part of growing up. Remember, those wonderful after school activities are meant to enrich, not exhaust, your child.