Here are some signs that you might be “Overscheduling” your child:

• Tired or hyperactive and have difficulty focusing and hold on to basic information
• Preoccupied and distracted because they are thinking about the next activity
• Anxious for acceptance, unable to trust their own judgment, and in need of approval for everything they do
• Unable to create games without an adult directing them
• In conflict when they don’t want to go to an after-school activity but feel they need to please their parents
• More likely to say they are “bored” when they mean, “I don’t know what to do”
• More likely to lose their sense of spontaneity and excitement at doing something new, saying, “I already did this”
• Unable to spend valuable time alone, when being alone stimulates creativity
• More fragile and less resilient

Recommendation:
For 3-4 year olds , no more than one activity a week
For 4-5 year olds, no more than two activities a week

How to choose the best activity for your child to participate in:

• Is the activity interesting to your child or is it more about what you wish you’d done as a child?
• Does the activity reflect your own interests or your child’s?
• Do you feel your child will enjoy the activity or do you think she “ought” to do it?
• Are you targeting your child’s interests or do you have a preconceived need to “enhance” her skills?
• Is your child physically ready to meet the expectations of the class?
• Does your child have the attending span for a teacher-directed activity such as cello or ballet?

This information was taken from: Practical Wisdom for Parents written by Nancy Schulman and Ellen Birnbaum