Recycled Sweet Greens! This is a post about something fun that was happening 10 years ago at Sweet Greens.
Now that school is back in session, it can be very easy to over-schedule our children’s lives. Some people may feel that in order for your child to have an enriching life, they need to be exposed to as many different activities as possible. I do think that it is important to be involved in activities as a child, to be a part of a group, practice, and try to reach personal goals and learn something new. I think that many activities can have a profound effect on the person that a child will become. Eben is currently enrolled in a gardening program that meets once every other week and then we have our Mom and Son guitar lessons that occur once weekly. Eben has also been telling me that he wants to take a photography class!
Do you think that parents that over schedule and micromanage every moment of a child’s life can be detrimental to the person that they will become? Some people think that it isn’t a busy child that stays out of trouble, but a connected child and that one of the best things that you can do for your children is to really connect with them, to listen, to be there. What do you think? I know that I want Eben’s childhood to be full of memories of times spent with us, his parents, doing fun things together as a family. I want him to grow up and think, my parents were always there. and that he had time to play and be a kid.
What type of activities are your children enrolled in?
What is your feeling on this subject?
We try very hard to keep our activities to a minimum during week nights. I don’t mind my children being involved in an activity. But we can’t do everything.
My generation (including me) has a serious problem with over scheduling, simply because there are so many options to choose from and we want to try everything. I want my children to learn to recognize this and to deal with it better.
Hi Avlor,
I absolutely agree. We definitely limit the amount of activities that Eben does. I want him to have a great balance of activites and family time.
Xo,
Sweet Greens.
This is incredibly true. Sometimes it is easier to schedule, to plan, to fit a child into a adult’s schedule. We found this summer that when we listened to our 2 1/2 year old she wanted to really really really chill out – complete free time, no trips, few outings. She wanted the space and time to play at her will, with us next to her and supporting her, but not directing her or making a firm schedule. It was incredible – within just days of this change (and we were quite unscheduled before) she seemed so much happier and felt more in control – her tantrums decreased to nothing, and life for her, and the 2 of us, was far more wonderful. It was a bit of a challenge all summer to put our own adult (more complicated) outings wishes and trips aside, but we did it, and we’re soooo glad we did. Sometimes kids need time and space to be kids – creative play takes time and space and not a heck of a lot of adult intervention.
Hi Jen,
I completely agree. Sometimes it is just better to let things “be” and not conform to a strict schedule. Eben loves to have time to just relax and be a kid and we find that it is during these times that his creativity and artistic talents really shine. I think it is better for everyone when there is time to just relax and spend time together as a family.
Thank you for your imput.
XO,
Sweet Greens.