I’ve noticed something lately that’s been bugging me — every time I visit friends with kids around my daughter’s age (6–8), “quiet time” seems to have replaced actual playtime. Tablets, audiobooks, mindfulness apps — all under the label of “calm time.” I get that life’s busy and overstimulation is real, but are we leaning too hard into this idea of kids needing constant “calm”?
When I was little, we were outside climbing trees, scraping knees, and yelling until someone’s mum called us in. Now it feels like kids are expected to be peaceful mini-adults who meditate between lessons. My daughter’s school even has a “calm corner” and a daily “mindful minute,” which sounds lovely — but she’s starting to say she’s “too tired to play.” That honestly worries me.
I totally get the mental health benefits of mindfulness, but I can’t help wondering if we’re confusing rest with restriction. Kids naturally have energy — isn’t that supposed to be expressed, not contained?
Curious what others think — is this shift toward constant calm actually helping our kids emotionally, or are we teaching them to suppress the normal chaos and imagination that come with childhood?