Chapter 1. Todays Overscheduled Children

Short Description

In this video, children report their busy involvement in various activities including soccer, basketball, baseball, gymnastics, and babysitting. Twelve-year-old Johnny reports that on Tuesdays and Thursdays going from baseball to lacrosse to soccer causes him to miss dinner.

Long Description

In this video, children report their busy involvement in various activities including soccer, basketball, baseball, gymnastics, and babysitting. Twelve-year-old Johnny reports that on Tuesdays and Thursdays going from baseball to lacrosse to soccer causes him to miss dinner. On Wednesdays, Catherine and Carolyn rush from community service to softball to homework time. Parents, like Terry and John, try to keep up with their childrenís schedules. Terry maintains a monthly calendar by child and by week. Alvin Rosenfeld, author of The Over-Scheduled Child, describes “hyperparenting” as both an action and an anxiety. He admits that even he is ambitious and wants his children to do well. Hyperparents attempt to fill their childís day with enriching activities. As a result, children have no time for themselves, no time to imagine, and often become exhausted. Johnnyís father suggests that scheduled activities keep kids out of trouble. Without regret, he accepts the label of hyperparent. Johnny enjoys sports with his friends, but admits he has little free time to hang out or watch television. Terry worries that if she does not schedule her daughterís participation in a sport, she will lose her competitive edge. Terryís daughter Sarah excels in both soccer and drama and seems to enjoy her hectic life. However, families rarely schedule time to eat dinner together. Rosenfeld reports that families who do spend time together tend to have children who flourish. Both parents and children need time to enjoy the pleasure of being together. In the past, childrenís time was their own. Their activities were not scheduled or supervised by parents. Todayís parents worry that children left on their own may be unsafe. The tragedy, claims Rosenfeld, is that in trying to be good parents we steal childhood. We schedule every moment of a childís time because we think we know whatís best.

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