Having a variety of extracurricular opportunities, gives students outlets where they can discover and pursue new interests, continue learning past the school bell, or even fine-tune their athleticism in a sport. However, if students have multiple interests, their extracurriculars may mount into a jam-packed schedule, leaving little to no time for self-care or even downtime. According to the experts at Parents.com, here are a few tips to help parents ensure that their child is not overscheduled this school year!

Before we continue on with a few tips to help parents ensure that their kids have a balanced schedule this year, let’s first take a look at exactly what “overscheduling” actually entails.

According to the experts, “Overscheduling or overprogramming describes when the pressure of managing competing responsibilities results in stress and anxiety. An overscheduled child may begin to have strong reactions to an activity they previously enjoyed. This could show up as them taking it too seriously or not wanting to go at all.”

“While organized activities clearly developmentally benefit children, it’s sometimes less clear when a child is overscheduled to a point of it being detrimental,” Dr. Amy Morse, PsyD, a pediatric psychologist at Children’s Hospital of Orange County, told Parents.com.

Dr. Aliza Pressman, PhD, a professor of pediatrics and psychologist at Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital added, “It’s really not about what you’re scheduling; it’s about taking into account your child’s temperament and how they’re responding to all of the scheduling.”

If your child is exhibiting the following signs, then they may be overscheduled:

• A reluctance to participate in activities
• Regularly missing mealtimes with family
• Disrupted sleep
• Mood changes
• Falling behind at school
• Physical symptoms like stomachaches or headaches
• Feeling restless or distracted

Now that we have defined and taken a look at some of the red flags, keep reading to find out what new tips and tools that you can add to your parenting toolbox to ensure that your kids are not overscheduled this upcoming school year and that they enjoy their extracurriculars to the fullest.

“When it comes to setting a schedule, start backward,” advised Dr. Pressman. “Make sure your child has adequate sleep time, mealtimes, and downtime—and downtime [that] is not staring at your screen. Downtime is talking to your family, hanging out with your friends.”

Consider the following to add to your parenting resources to make sure that you keep the extracurriculars and real life in check.

• Set some ground rules ahead of each school year. Make sure that your children know what you are expecting from them before they set foot on campus in regards to how many extracurriculars they can have, when they are allowed to participate, etc.
• Don’t be afraid to say no! Set limits if you need to and let them know that they are only allowed X number of extracurriculars during a semester or school year. This will encourage them to prioritize what they are passionate about and what can wait.
• Let them know that there is time to do it all! If this year, their extracurricular card is full, there is always time to try something new at another time.
• Make sure that they know and understand that school is first and foremost the priority and that everything else is an extra!