The Myth of the Overscheduled Child
The conventional wisdom that kids today are overscheduled, and it's stressing them out is wrong, according to new research published in the Social Policy Report, a respected journal of the Society for Research in Child Development.
In fact, a nationwide random survey of 2,125 children aged 5 to 18, found that the more time children spend in organized activities, the better their grades, self-esteem, and relationship with parents. Even those who spend more than 20 hours a week--a small minority, just 6%--didn't experience the stress and anxiety that experts have previously posited to the "overscheduled child." And this study also echoed the findings of another study of 314 affluent, suburban 8th grade students.
Contrary to the conventional wisdom about overscheduled kids, the researchers found:
* Kids usually participate in organized activities not because they are under pressure from their parents, but mostly because they want to participate themselves.
* Very few kids have such hectic schedules. On average, kids spend about 5 hours a week in organized activities, whereas roughly 40% of children don't participate in any extracurricular activities at all.
*Those who don't have any organized activities tend to be less academically successful and have poorer relationships, leading the researchers to conclude that the problem isn't so much too many overscheduled kids but large numbers of kids who don't have the benefits of scheduled activities.
*The benefits of participation does NOT decline as participation goes up; by and large, even those who spent 20 or more hours per week in organized activities show better adjustment compared to those who don't participate.
So why is it that so many of us feel as if kids are buckling under from the stress of overscheduled lives?
The researchers have an interesting theory: It might be that it's actually the parents who are having difficulty managing their kids' schedules. "Perhaps more so than the children, it is the parents who are overextended, with ongoing conflicts regarding their life roles," Suniya Luthar, Ph.D., of Columbia University, writes.
No doubt the proponents of the overscheduled child will counter soon, perhaps poking holes in their methodology. I also wonder if this new research is failing to take into account the benefits of boredom. Kids can get very inventive when they aren't in adult-led activities. But still, this new research does have a certain resonance: the truth is, my kids love taking soccer and swim lessons; it's me who finds it stressful to ferry them around and keep track of schedules, while also keeping my own career and life going.
Stumble It!
In fact, a nationwide random survey of 2,125 children aged 5 to 18, found that the more time children spend in organized activities, the better their grades, self-esteem, and relationship with parents. Even those who spend more than 20 hours a week--a small minority, just 6%--didn't experience the stress and anxiety that experts have previously posited to the "overscheduled child." And this study also echoed the findings of another study of 314 affluent, suburban 8th grade students.
Contrary to the conventional wisdom about overscheduled kids, the researchers found:
* Kids usually participate in organized activities not because they are under pressure from their parents, but mostly because they want to participate themselves.
* Very few kids have such hectic schedules. On average, kids spend about 5 hours a week in organized activities, whereas roughly 40% of children don't participate in any extracurricular activities at all.
*Those who don't have any organized activities tend to be less academically successful and have poorer relationships, leading the researchers to conclude that the problem isn't so much too many overscheduled kids but large numbers of kids who don't have the benefits of scheduled activities.
*The benefits of participation does NOT decline as participation goes up; by and large, even those who spent 20 or more hours per week in organized activities show better adjustment compared to those who don't participate.
So why is it that so many of us feel as if kids are buckling under from the stress of overscheduled lives?
The researchers have an interesting theory: It might be that it's actually the parents who are having difficulty managing their kids' schedules. "Perhaps more so than the children, it is the parents who are overextended, with ongoing conflicts regarding their life roles," Suniya Luthar, Ph.D., of Columbia University, writes.
No doubt the proponents of the overscheduled child will counter soon, perhaps poking holes in their methodology. I also wonder if this new research is failing to take into account the benefits of boredom. Kids can get very inventive when they aren't in adult-led activities. But still, this new research does have a certain resonance: the truth is, my kids love taking soccer and swim lessons; it's me who finds it stressful to ferry them around and keep track of schedules, while also keeping my own career and life going.
Stumble It!
posted by pam at 1:09 PM
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