DISQUS

Balanced Dad · 7 months ago

We've entered an age where we overschedule our kids and expect them to keep up...gone are the days of "one sport per quarter". Parents are looking to outdo other parents by giving their kid an edge by involving them in multiple sports during any one quarter.

Balance yourselves folks...you will burn your kids out and they won't have much gas left in the tank by the time their teens.

I would rather see families say no to mutliple sports per quarter, and teach their children the value of life balance.

Marcia · 6 months ago

Balanced Dad - You make such a great point about finding a life balance in today's world of too much to do and not enough time! Oddly enough my family is sometimes criticized for being a single sport family. Folks don't think its well-rounded to have a singular focus but truth be told my kids have been offered to try other things and have declined... I'm actually happy with this plan because at least we don't need to play Superman in the back seat and change from one uniform to another. I'm sure there are parents who are looking to outdo each other or push their kids too hard... I see it on the sidelines...I also move away from folks like that. There are things, that we do in our family, that help to keep life in perspective and maybe I'll blog on that too.. but we make sure we have dinner together, at the same table, as many times as possible during the week, good grades are key - bad grades, no practice, having open communication about the coaches about the issues you raise regarding burnout, overuse, and school, and aliigning with other parents with similiar views. No doubt... life is faster these days and balance is key.