Stress and anxiety play a big role in
our children’s lives today. According
to the Anxiety and Depression
Association of America (ADAA), it’s
estimated that one in eight children
suffer from an anxiety disorder. More
worrisome, the National Institute of
Mental Health reports that 25 percent
of teens ages 13-18 will experience
some form of anxiety.

Much of this stress is because children
are not getting enough down time.

They’re being carted around from
one activity to another, unable to
calm their mind and simply play.

Peter Gray, author of the book“Free
to Learn,” ties this lack of free play to
the increase in children suffering from
anxiety, depression and other mental
health disorders.

2. CREATIVITY
Voyagerix/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images
Being creative involves having the
time to explore and grow. When we’re
creative, we become so absorbed in our
work that we reach a meditative state
of flow. How will our children have
the chance to be creative if they are
constantly rushing between structured
activities? Diane Ehrensaft, a developmental
and clinical psychologist, believes
that “children these days are so
overscheduled that they have almost
no ‘nothing time.’ They have no time
to call on their own resources and
be creative. Creativity is making
something out of nothing, and it takes
time for that to happen. In our efforts
to produce Renaissance children who
are competitive in all areas, we
squelch creativity.”
emotions and to ultimately figure
out who they are and what they
want to become. They need calm,
quiet moments for mindfulness and
introspection. They also need time to
explore topics in depth without time
constraints, curriculum and scores.

When children are involved in too
many different activities, they sacrifice
breadth for depth and miss out on
opportunities for authentic self-
discovery. GlobalStock/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images
1. MENTAL HEALTH
HOW TO NAVIGATE OUR
CHILDREN’S SCHEDULES
In the end, it’s all about balance.

As parents, we need to learn what
our children can handle and what
they want — not what we think is
best for their college applications.

This does not mean you need to
take your children out of all their
activities. Talk to your child. Choose
wisely. Realistically evaluate what
extracurricular activities are necessary
and which ones are just taking up
unnecessary time. For example, maybe
a certain activity requires a bigger
commitment than the rest of your
child’s activities, such as basketball
practice three days per week. If this is
a priority, then consider eliminating
another “filler” activity. Quality over
quantity is key here. Another example
is if your child is taking dance or
theater classes at both a studio and
school, then maybe one of those could
be eliminated to lessen an already
packed schedule. It would also
alleviate unnecessary travel time.

3. SELF-AWARENESS
The bottom line: Check in with your
children, keep tabs on what makes
them happy, and be sure they’re
getting plenty of unscheduled down
time. Children need time in their day to
simply be themselves. This allows
them to get in touch with their
Sandi Schwartz is a freelance writer
WARNING
SIGNS WORRIED ABOUT YOUR
CHILD BEING OVERBOOKED
AND BURNT OUT? THESE
ARE THE SIGNS TO LOOK
OUT FOR:
• Exhaustion, and
regular complaints
about being tired
• High stress levels
• Sudden decline in
school performance
• Frequent headaches
and other body pains
• Anxiety, depression,
irritability •
Withdrawing from
family and friends
• Change in eating and
sleeping patterns
• Sudden lateness and
missing scheduled
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