Some children thrive with a schedule full of afterschool activities while other children may feel stressed out and overwhelmed by a jam packed afterschool schedule.
Well meaning parents can push kids too hard to join the glee club, try out for the baseball team and take on vocal lessons three nights a week. It’s important for parents to stop for a moment and ask if they are really packing their child’s schedule for the good of the child or if they are trying to make up for their own lost childhood opportunities.
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How do you know your child is on extracurricular overload? Here are some red flags to look for in your child. If you notice any of these characteristics forming in your child, you need to reevaluate your child’s schedule:
- Your child is exhausted most of the time.
- Your child’s grades drop.
- Your child doesn’t want to go to afterschool activities.
- Your child has frequent psychosomatic complaints such as headaches or stomachaches.
- Your child’s schoolwork begins to suffer
- Your child doesn’t have enough time for homework.