So, it's hockey practice tonight for your kids? Soccer tomorrow and piano on Friday? Are we over-scheduling our children? And how do we balance work and play? That's the focus of our ongoing series called ''CHEO Healthy Kids."
A game of hand ball is easy exercise for the Laquerre brothers. Justin and Kyle are both heavily involved in sports.
“I play competitive hockey 5 to 7 times a week,” says Justin Laquerre. “In the summer I play soccer and golf.”
At their young age, both Pierre Comeau's kids are busy 3 to 4 nights a week.
“They have piano lessons, dance lessons, soccer lessons,” says Comeau. Wife Evelyne Delude adds, “It's important to move so I do activities for exercise myself so it's a good example for them. As long as they enjoy it, it's perfect for us.”
It's a familiar story -- kids' agendas are busier than their parents. But how much is too much?
Jane Rutherford is an exercise specialist with CHEO’s Centre for Healthy, Active Living. “We feel if it interferes with family life, with down time for the child and for the parent, if there isn't enough time to have fairly regular family meals, that's when there's too much activity happening.”
Some kids, though, don't want to do anything. Rutherford says activities are an important part of growing up.
“It’s important that kids have activities that get them outside the house, that they can meet new people,” says Rutherford, “learn how to interact with people and situations. But it doesn't have to be physical activity we’re talking about.” She says it can be any activity, including sports, piano, and drama.
CHEO Psychologist Dr. Laurie Clark warns parents to watch for signs of over-scheduling: temper tantrums, stomach aches.
“You need to step back and look at what does your kid want to do,” says Dr. Clark, “what do they enjoy doing and go with that first and how does that work for your family?”
Equally important is downtime. Kids, just like adults, need time to re-charge their batteries - and do something sometimes just for the fun of it.
