The other day I tried to make a playdate for my kindergartener, and the mom and I realized that there was only one date--nearly two weeks off--when the two kids were free on the same day. Her child had after school activities three days a week; mine had activities twice a week.
Okay, this is not news that kids are overscheduled, at very young ages.
But now the American Academy of Pediatrics is taking sides. And it's telling parents that kids need more time for "free play." Here is a passage from the AAP's press release on its report.
A new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says free and unstructured play is healthy and - in fact - essential for helping children reach important social, emotional, and cognitive developmental milestones as well as helping them manage stress and become resilient.

The report, "The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds," is written in defense of play and in response to forces threatening free play and unscheduled time. These forces include changes in family structure, the increasingly competitive college admissions process, and federal education policies that have led to reduced recess and physical education in many schools.

Whereas play protects children's emotional development, a loss of free time in combination with a hurried lifestyle can be a source of stress, anxiety and may even contribute to depression for many children, the AAP report states.

While I agree with this report in theory--kids can do wonderful things when given the freedom to use their imaginations--I feel like it once again put the entire burden on parents, perpetuating the culture of blaming the working parents (and let's face it, that usually means the mothers).
The reason for the overscheduling isn't simply because of misguided, overly striving parents. We live in a world with few social supports. If you don't put your kids in some scheduled activities, what will they do? They'll probably get into lots of trouble. Families tend to be smaller today and both parents are working, so likely this kid will be at home alone and looking to a parent for play. It isn't like thirty years ago when families had three or four kids and whole neighborhoods of kids hung out in the backyards and played together. This report just fuels this notion that it's all the parents fault. What about society's responsibility here? What about setting up better after school programs and creating more flexible workplaces? Y
Stumble It!