Talon Talk

Finding the Right Balance for your Child

Our youth have so many fun options and beneficial opportunities for activities and at a young age usually want to try everything. Visions of being a star gymnast or college scholarship football player have us starting structured activities at a much younger age than ever before. While some kids don’t have enough things to do and wind up spending too much time on a device or hanging with the wrong crowd out of boredom, we also find many students exhibit signs of stress and anxiety because they are overscheduled and are on the cusp of burnout. Spring is a time that exacerbates being overscheduled. Students are in spring sports, practices, games and matches, have awards ceremonies, dance recitals, choir and band concerts, chores at home, standardized testing at school, final projects due and so much more. How do you know if your child is headed to burnout because of too much on their plates for their emotional maturity?

Look for these warning signs:

1. Little to no downtime;

2. Grades are slipping;

3. Not getting enough sleep

4. Health is suffering;

5. No time for friends (or family);

6. Their day is filled with all work and no fun;

7. You’re tired too!!

For more information on evaluating your teen’s/tween’s schedule, click for signs of being overscheduled and help in deciding if you have a good balance. Being involved can help kids learn to manage time and be helpful to self esteem, mental health and motivation. Too many responsibilities, however, also can overwhelm some kids and cause burnout and apathy over time. Finding the right balance for your child and family takes individual attention and re-evaluation over time.