You've likely all heard the latest statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics that kids need more play. I think most of us would agree with that. Here's the link to the statement:
AAP Statement on kids needing more time to play. But, how do we help our kids get more time to play when the pressure to do afterschool activities is so great - on parents and on kids? If any of you have found a way to create a balance for your kids, let us know.
One thing we've done in our family is to not sign our kids up for activities that routinely fall on weekends. There's always the odd thing that comes up but we don't want to overcrowd our weekends as a general rule. This has helped us have some consistent family time. We have also limited playdates - especially on busy weeks. And, the last thing we've tried to do is make sure we have at least one full family meal a day. Sometimes that ends up being breakfast or dessert depending on my husband's travel schedule but the goal is family time around the same table. There's a great book on this topic that is really eye opening:
Surprising Power of the Family Meal Best,
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