Are we over-scheduling our children's lives?

[thr335teen]

My 7 year old Year Two child has quite a packed schedule but nothing compared to some children in his class.

A couple of the boys' weeks look a bit like this:

Monday - Thursday - after school clubs such as computer skills/STEM club/art club etc

Friday - after school cricket, All Stars summer cricket at the local rugby club followed by Under 9's cricket

Saturday - football in the morning, swimming in the afternoon

Sunday - rugby.

I just don't remember our parents being this involved in scheduling our whole lives?

Am I wrong that this is too much? What do your 7 year olds do?

Tbh it's probably why mine didn't do that at primary age. I too wasn't spending my life driving to/ fro/ waiting around while kids did stuff. They both went to brownies the guides the rest was when they were older like local church club/ ATC/ youth club and they could take and bring themselves to and fro.

They never had swimming lessons but I managed to teach them all to swim

I was overscheduled as a child; piano lessons, swimming club, ballet, tap, horse riding, brownies. As a result I organised nothing for my kids unless they expressly asked to do something.

My DB was a medal winner and was training all the time, 2 mornings before school and 3 evenings. Most weekend were spent following him around the country for events. It way too exhausting for him and my DPs.

The only thing I insisted upon was learning to swim. My DM taught my eldest to swim, my youngest wouldn't be taught by someone she knew and wanted to play the whole time so we did have to get her lessons for 6m until she could swim.

My eldest decided she wanted to do brownies at 7, that lasted 10m before if was too boring. Then she wanted to try gymnastics at 9yrs, that was a Saturday morning. She enjoyed that and stayed with it for a few years but left before high school, my youngest went a bit before the interest died out.

That was it. I work FT, DH works shifts and evenings are tiring enough. I see some of DDs mates were busy at something every night and could never play out. Then High School hits and the homework levels are crazy.

After school club things don’t really count if it’s your after school childcare and you’re working.

I agree with you though. I have two 7yr olds. They both do a sport on a Friday after school, and that’s it. One of them may start a weekend sport because they are getting particularly keen on it. They do weekly swimming and both have music lessons but that’s during the school day.

One of my friend’s two kids both do two clubs on week days and then both have two at the weekend which takes from 10am-2pm every Saturday and Sunday. Each to their own but to me that sounds awful and I don’t know when they get the time to just be free and easy.

I love our weekends of all deciding what we’ll do and having fun with it.

I don't really understand all the comments about "when is the downtime" - even my child who lives activities and does several, still gets plenty of time at home.

E g. On Saturday he does a sport 10-12, so he still has like 8 hours at home..

We don't have community centres like that near us. The only time I've ever seen one would be on Byker Grove!

And it's not 'irrational fears' that would stop me letting my DC out. It's that no one her age is out unsupervised either. If they are they have mobiles so they aren't climbing trees or having lashings of ginger beer while frolicking in a field and plotting against smugglers, they are hunched over in groups looking at tiktok and learning all about skin care acid toners and contouring.

DD12 - Trampolining 3 x per week 2 hours each time (mon,thur,sat) and 2 after school clubs that she chose.

DD10 - Gymnastics 4 x per week 17 hours.

DD5 - gymnastics 2 x per week 4 hours.

So yes, we are packed, its hard work but we make it work. We have now managed to get 3 x family dinners a week where we sit at the table and no phones allowed

A sunday is always a free day and the kids use it to chill or in better weather meet their friends.

I feel like because we are so busy through the week most days we make a really big effort on family times, and the added bonuses are it keeps the kids super healthy and lowers their screen time.

I agree with this !