How to Avoid Over-scheduling Your Teenager

As your teenager enters high school, the possibilities are endless–they have their life ahead of them, they’re preparing for college, and they are faced with a number of clubs and activities that may very well pique their interest. In addition, many college scholarship applications fare better with a few extracurricular activities and volunteer work. But where do you draw the line? Studies show that teenagers these days are not getting enough sleep, and are functioning off of extreme sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation can cause a number of issues in individuals, including irritability, inability to concentrate, memory lapses, decreased reaction time, aches and hallucinations. Considering most teenagers already do not receive enough sleep (approximately 6 hours a night for most adolescents), it’s a shock that our teenagers function at all! Between school, extracurricular activities, homework, and socializing, sleep seems to come last for most high schoolers. Stress continues to be a problem for teenagers. In a 2003 study done by Liberty Mutual and SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions/Drunk Driving), 59% of teenagers between the ages of 15 and 17 felt stressed every day. That number only lowers a little to 43% during the ages of 13 and 14. And 83% of teenagers admit that their biggest stresser is the pressure to perform well and complete homework. As much as your teenager may want to be on the football team, yearbook staff, AND play the guitar, it is important to make sure that you teach your teenager the importance of balance. With too much going on and too little time, they are bound to find these activities more of a chore than something fun. And the release of stress hormones from being overbooked can cause long-term consequences for their brains and their bodies. This day and age, teenagers and young adults are being diagnosed with stress and anxiety disorders, due to the changes in their time management and workload. Whatever happened to the days of coming home from school and playing outside with friends until dinnertime? These kinds of daily activities are non-existent now. Here are some quick ways to make sure you are not over-scheduling your teenager during the school year: * Sit down with your children and take a look at your current schedule. If each child is in a number of after-school activities, it is crucial to have each child pick an activity that means the most to them, and to drop the rest. If you’re stressed from driving the kids all over town to their obligations, your family will be stressed as well. * Understand that it is important for your child to pick out the activities that they want to participate in, not you. By forcing your child to learn a musical instrument or volunteer at the local shelter, doing such activities when their hearts just aren’t into it can be detrimental in the long run and cause resentment towards you for forcing them to do something they were not truly interested in. * Spend relaxing time together as a family. Make family a top priority, and show kids that you, too, can be stress-free. Studies show that when parents are stressed, children are stressed too, so participate together in activities that can help you all unwind together as a family unit. * Monitor your children and teenagers for marked signs of distress. If their school grades are dropping, their appetite and sleeping schedule seem to change, and they seem more distant or quiet, they may be dealing with a lot of stress or depression. Talk with your teenagers regularly about their day, and take note of any changes that you notice in them during busy extracurricular activities. * Send them outside! A little fresh out and outdoor play never hurt anyone! Send them down to the park with some friends to play some basketball, or have them ride their bike down to the store to pick up some food for dinner. Exercise is a natural antidepressant for many, and can help lower their stress AND help them become more active.