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Children today have more activities available to them, than we had at their age. It's good that they have these opportunities available, but how do we know when a child has too many activities scheduled? The following piece describes some of the observations and solutions that I have had to deal first hand with my children.

First I think its important to see, what interests the child and try to guide them into activities that they like. This doesn't mean that they should "specialize" in this only. In fact, studies have shown that specialization in any activity will result in burnout and the loss of interest in that area. However as a starting point, it would be a good idea to start them of this way. Once the activity is chosen and started, make sure not to overdo it, by scheduling the activity for no more than a day or 2. Occasionally reassess and determine if your child has kept his interest in that particular area. If you see it to start to wane, scale or cut it back. Sometimes it's difficult to determine a child' interest. A quick and easy way of determining this is to ask your child what 3 activities they like to do in after school, their free time or in the summer. Activities then can be planned accordingly.

As mentioned above, at some point, you'll want to expose your child to new activities. You will want to broaden their horizons. Possibly a new interest will start. The secret to introducing these new activities lies in the way they are introduced. A parent should start slowly to gauge the child's enthusiasm, before proceeding to a full time commitment, in that area.

Also do not overload the child with activities. This will lead to burnout. The number of activities will depend on your time, the child and the number of children you may have. I always found that 2 to 3 activities is enough. A sport activity, a social activity and an artistic activity of some sort is a good mix. Remember that children need down time and time to be themselves. So scheduling shouldn't involve every waking moment a child is up. Activities certainly shouldn't ever interfere with what I call family time, such as dinnertime. It's, in my opinion, very important to give the child a sense of family and to establish the importance of spending time together.

Regardless of anything else, be supportive of the child. If they aren't interested in a particular area, move on, even if you feel the activity is beneficial. Criticism will never get you anywhere. In the long run, we all want to promote our child's well being and to make them feel loved and special.

Learn more about this author, Cyrus Dehkan.
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