There’s soccer practice and math lessons on Mondays, language tutoring on Tuesday, swimming lessons on Thursday, tennis and language classes on Saturday, and occasionally a birthday party to attend. Does this sound familiar? With so many overscheduled children, it probably does.

All parents seek only the best for their offspring, and for many, it’s about exposing them to as many new experiences as possible. While all of these activities have advantages of their own, it’s important to realize that your children also need some time to let their hair down.

There are three key things that overscheduled children need more of; downtime, playtime, and family time.

Downtime

All of us need to be reminded to slow down, find stillness, lower our stress levels, and “play” more - all to create the balance that is so necessary in our lives. Downtime is so important for the mental health of children.

You should try to limit scheduled activities to ensure that there is space for downtime. Kids also need to have time to switch their brains off and just relax for a bit. However, you shouldn’t confuse downtime with “screen time.” Overscheduling is better than allowing your child to just sit on the couch in front of the TV or on their phone.

Downtime isn’t about being lazy or having your kids become completely passive. It should be about freeing the mind. Getting outdoors, taking in fresh air or doing some sort of arts and crafts project. Think of you child’s mind a bit like a computer that has too many programs running. Eventually, it starts to slow down and doesn’t work so well. But, once you shut the programs down, the computer speeds up again.

During downtime the brain doesn’t become completely inactive - children are still learning at all times. In some cases, they may be learning that balance is important. The last thing you want is for your child to reach “burnout” point from having too much on their plate.

Playtime

Less work, more play, that’s what many doctors these days advise. Playtime is not pointless. It enhances the brain structure, function, and promotes the process of learning.

Children need the chance to be children. Let the kids take the lead when it comes to playtime. If they have a friend over for a play date, don’t organize their fun. Rather, let them figure it out for themselves. If they complain that they’re bored, give them space to figure out a solution.

Research suggests that children don’t have enough unstructured time to play. These days, many children go from one after-school activity to the next and they don’t have the chance to just be. Unstructured play allows children to relax and momentarily take control of their environments.

Family Time

Childhood goes by so incredibly fast, and it’s important to spend as much time with your children as you can. In the blink of an eye, your children will be grown up and living their own lives. But it’s also important for their own well-being.

Make sure that you have daily conversations with your children. As them how their day was, how they’re feeling, if anything is bothering them, etc. Children who feel cared for naturally perform better at school and in extra-curricular activities. If they’re not enjoying something they need to feel as if they can tell you about it.

Some good ideas for family time is to implement things like making mealtimes a “tech-free” environment for both adults and kids. You could also get involved in a few of your children's many extracurricular activities. For instance; you could also learn to speak Spanish and practice with your child while doing daily chores around the house.

Tips for Implementing Downtime, play time and family time

Now that you know that you should be prioritizing more downtime, playtime, and family time into your child's everyday life, you might be wondering how to go about implementing these things. Here’s a few tips to help you:

• Choose one or two favourite activities: Discuss with your child about what activities they love and absolutely want to do. Try to free-up their schedule a bit

• Spend at least one weekend day at home: Weekends are often packed with sports games, running errands, and visiting friends and family. Try to leave one day open for some downtime.

• Focus on what’s important: To sweat the little things and teach your child that balance is very important.