Over the past month, my older son, who is four years old, has been participating in several new activities. Music on Mondays, Soccer on Tuesdays and Saturdays, Tumbling on Sundays. I shuttle him around to these classes, and for the most part, I am required to stay on site. Before I became a parent, I remember thinking that if I ever had kids, I would avoid overly programming their schedules. I was repelled by the idea of adults curating childhood. I secretly judged the parents that spent their time doing exactly what I am doing now. I thought kids should have ample time for free play and that they should be comfortable with boredom. I believed that kids should learn how to amuse themselves.
I still believe all of this…but I also believe in the power of trying new things, especially at a young age. I would never make my son attend a class he didn’t want to attend. He is thrilled about all of his new activities, and his excitement is contagious. I have seen his confidence soar from pushing himself outside of his comfort zone. His social skills have expanded by working and playing with new kids, and he has become more comfortable with adults, since each of his teachers has a different style and approach.
While our current schedule is busy, there is still plenty of space for unstructured play, and I hope that my son considers these new activities as nothing more than fun and exciting experiences. The point is not to score a goal in soccer or play Mozart on the glockenspiel, but to muster the bravery to try something new. Of course there are so many benefits to mastering a skill, be it painting or reading music, hockey or ballet, but I am more concerned with fostering the drive to embrace the unknown. I strongly believe that trying new things (and being a little intimidated or scared) is essential for human growth. The feeling that comes after we overcome a new challenge is priceless.
Another argument for these activities is that they potentially reduce screen-time. As parents, we can of course decide that unstructured play does not involve a phone or television, but screens are designed to be addictive, and as soon as they are introduced into our lives, we all know they are an option. Growing up, my sister and I did not have cable television, and cell phones weren’t around. We created plays and dance performances, set up shops with our own currency, and romped around the neighborhood and pretended we were spies. There was no end to our imagination. But that was around 1990-2000. The world is different now and technology plays a much larger role in all of our lives. As parents, we need to be more intentional about the kind of childhood we want our kids to have.
If you are a parent in Summit County (CO), here are a few links for the activities I mentioned above. What activities do you enjoy doing with your children and how do you balance structured or programmed time with free play? Thanks for reading!
https://www.kindermusik.com/in/usa/colorado