06-08-2025
The dangers of over-scheduling, what parents should be aware of this back-to-school season
While parents love to watch their kids at their best in after-school sports and activities, whether it's sports, dance, chess club, or theater, that can be a lot all at once.
However, all of that can take its toll if they're not careful.
Structure is good for young people, but there is always the risk of over-scheduling.
Some children in grade school or high school grow through having to get their homework done before practice, some get their best grades during theater season, but again, too many extracurriculars can be inundating.
Dr. Anthony Mannarino at Allegheny Health Network said that children doing more is more common than in previous generations, and said that social media may be part of the reason for that. He said that some parents have the urge to compare their kids to others.
For parents, they should be looking for signs from their kids that over-scheduling is becoming a problem. Are they anxious, are they more tired because of having too much on their plate, and are they complaining about having to go to practice?
At the beginning of the school year, there is a lot more to worry about with kids getting themselves back into the routine of being at school once again.
Dr. Mannarino said a good strategy is to start small and then take it up a notch.
"Start with one or two in the week, if your child is handling that well, ramp it up to another one," he said. "Just see how they do instead of just starting the school year with every after-school booked with something."
Generally, the younger your kids are, the fewer activities you want to put on their plates.
For example, little kids between six and 10 probably shouldn't be doing more than one or two activities.
Either way, Dr. Mannarino said parents have to be the ones to keep that open line of communication with their kids.
Simply put, be aware of what your child is like and what you think they can handle.
