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Today, many families spend their time racing from one activity to the next with few breaks in between. While many therapists agree it’s important to build up a wide range of skills and experiences so your children can find activities they care about, overscheduling can become a problem. Below, Families Inc. in Jacksonville, AR, offers some insight on ways to help busy kids—their suggestions are based on more than 17 years providing family mental health services.

3 Ways to Help Overscheduled Kids

Stress the Importance of Self-Care

It’s essential for children to identify their personal needs and address them to prevent burnout and promote good mental health. Some kids gain energy and motivation by playing with others during unstructured outings while others need time alone every day. Therapists suggest helping your kids find ways to implement self-care practices into their schedules, such as reading solo or playing fetch with the dog.

Eat Right

therapistOverscheduling means near-constant movement, and that requires a lot of energy. Kids need to eat well to maintain their enthusiasm and keep them going on and off the field, in the classroom, or while performing on stage. Make sure little ones are eating three balanced meals a day and pack snacks so they can munch on something healthy. 

Reduce Commitments

Finally, one of the best ways to help overscheduled kids is to limit their activities. Instead of signing up for everything your children are interested in all at once, try one class or sport at a time. This way your kids can focus on one thing, have free time, and commit to school. From trying one sport per season to attending therapy sessions and learning to swim, decide what level of commitment is right for your family and stick to it.

Just like adults can run out of energy, kids can easily become overwhelmed with too much going on. Promote self-care, provide healthy foods and limit engagements to keep your kids on track. If you think they could benefit from seeing a therapist to better understand their needs and emotions, call Families Inc. at (877) 595-8869. Or, visit their website to learn about play therapy, psychiatric services, and behavioral indicators that may help your children address overscheduling.

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