Rush, rush. Go, go. Hurry, hurry, hurry. I see it often with the teens I work with and even see it with parents of young kids. They're always off to the next thing; the next practice, the next club, the next whatever. And that's on top of school work, time to be with family, and having time to just being a kid.
David Herndon had some insight on the busyness that so many parents push on their children. Here's a clip of what he had to say:
We have laws against child abuse - laws against mental abuse, physical abuse, nutrition abuse, and sexual abuse. These are good and necessary laws that protect children from having more stress put on them than a child should have. After spending a few Saturdays on the sidelines, I’d like to recommend a law against a new kind of child abuse: Time Abuse. To demand that your child be involved in everything is not only an unnecessary source of anxiety for your child, but it also sets him up to think that quality of life and self-worth is only measured through busyness. It robs our children of values like family and personal creativity and passion.
If you love kids (or have kids) or know a parent, it's worth your time to take a minute and read this. I know I want to be the type of parent who encourages my kids to have a variety of interests and experiences, but also understand what it means to live life with a sustainable pace.
Technorati tags: dherndon, busyness, parenting advice
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