The Importance of Play

Scheduling a playdate for a preschooler these days can feel similar to squeezing a meeting into President Obama's daily itinerary. Soccer, t-ball, art class, swimming... there are so many wonderful choices for kids to expand their horizons. Sometimes, however, you can have too much of a good thing.

The parents I know [myself included] bemoan the current trend of over-scheduled children, yet somehow, feel pressured to keep up with other families in the extra-curricular department. May I suggest that we all take a step back and remember what our moms taught us: "Just because everyone is doing it, doesn't make it right!"

Children rushing around town to various school events, sports, and other activities, hurriedly eating snacks in car seats, are missing out on one of the most basic needs of childhood: free time. Free time is vitally important for a child to imagine and play independently, or together with siblings/friends. Free time is the time that problems are encountered, and solutions are tested out. Scuttling from here to there, over-scheduled kids do not have the opportunity to be creative and problem-solve on their own. In addition, over-scheduled kids are more stressed and eat less healthfully as the weeks add up.

Luckily, the problem of over-scheduled children is coming to mainstream attention. The American Academy of Pediatrics focused a spotlight on the issue with the January 2007 Policy Statement, "The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds." [A wonderful read when you have some time... to see it, click here.]

The media has picked up on the issue, and more families are becoming aware of the importance of free time. We parents need to make sure we do our part to preserve our kids' unstructured time each week. How can we do this? Focus on your family's priorities and goals, eliminate the unnecessary stuff, and choose two activities or sports, three tops, per child, at any given point in the year.

The need for free time is great news for families with twins, triplets, and more. Any parent who has driven Johnny to flag football, Mary to ballet, and Billy to piano, only to turn around to pick everyone up again, can see the beauty of a more open schedule! Don't feel guilty when you hear your neighbors discuss their prodigy child's five weekly after-school activities; smile inwardly, and remember that you're doing your kids a favor by letting them be kids while they still can!