Kids need a break now and then

Kids need a break now and then

busy schedules may leave children unable to enjoy anything: Psychiatrists

Pallavi Smart l Mumbai

Kandivli resident Puneet Mehta’s, 7, schedule is probably as jam-packed as any celebrity’s. His day starts at 10am with school and ends at 8pm with karate classes, with tuition and other activity classes in between. And he doesn’t get the weekend off either, with some or the other extra-curricular class lined up. It’s not just him. More or less, this is the routine of most of the schoolchildren in the city. In today’s world of cut-throat competition, it’s normal for parents to want their child to be an all-rounder. But in these attempts of theirs, parents are killing their child’s creativity, which his/her free time nurtures.        Dr Vani K, child psychiatrist, says, “At least one-third of the day should be completely free for children, time which they can call it theirs and do what they want. It’s possible they may just sleep or sit idle. But one should know that something which is superficially useless is important in the long run.” She adds, “Till six years of age, whichever activity you may enroll your child in, it is generally an unstructured one. Expressive learning comes before training with skill. So why force them into activity classes? Provide them with all the material needed for the activity and let them develop their creativity at home, without any pressure of performance.”      Dr Nita Mehta, clinical psychologist from New Horizon child development centre, says, “Activity classes are no longer just for enjoyment or development. They bring the pressure of performance on children, which is different from the academic performance pressure. If the child really enjoys the activity, then there is no point in not letting him/her do it. However, over-scheduling a child’s day is more of an adult-centric trend than a need. Extra-curricular activities can also be conducted at home. Parents can surely take out at least 30 minutes a day for their child.” “In their time together, parents can also talk to him/her to find out in which subjects he/she needs special help. There is no point in keeping tuition classes for all subjects. This will only result in additional homework,” adds Mehta.    Dr Rajendra Barve, child psychiatrist, says, “Children, who are not allowed free time, tend to become destructive. They don’t enjoy anything and become demanding and throw tantrums frequently. They are generally seen unhappy with their life.”    Prof Vijay Jamsandekar, career counsellor, gives an apt example. “You may buy a very expensive mobile phone. But if you don’t charge it regularly, it’s of no use. Free time is the charging time for children.” However, Vani, points out that if older children are left free for a long time, they are prone to get involved in wrong and harmful activities. “Hence, scheduling a child’s day to keep his/her mind busy is important, but over-scheduling will only ruin his/her personal development,” she sums up.

Published Date:  Jun 22, 2012

Courtesy (visited on 22.6.12)

http://epaper.dnaindia.com/story.aspx?id=20437&boxid=22839&ed_date=2012-06-22&ed_code=820009&ed_page=1