Guarding Your Child's Free Time

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Guarding Your Child’s Free Time

Posted September 1, 2009

(class offering): "Free Time, ages 0-16 years, Tuesday / Thursday afternoons, 3PM to 6Pm. Cost: negligable; Location: your home."

If you were to run across this listing in the extra-curricular booklets for fall '09 would you register for it? Would you sign your child up for it? As school resumes, preschool starts and gym/swim or music lessons begin I would like to put in a word in favor of free time for your child.

Historically, free time had a good reputation. Everybody wanted some so they made it for themselves and gave it to their children.

Times have changed; now, keeping busy is more highly valued - it almost doesn't matter with what. Playdates, swimming, piano, basketball, hockey, gymnastics, choral activities and more playdates. If you child has a free afternoon you might feel almost apologetic about it, explaining to friends that you tried to get her into the such-and-such for 7 year olds program but it was full.

For emotional health, children need free time. This means time without TV or computers games, without homework or chores.

"But mom, that sounds so boring! I don't want free time. I want to have a friend over or go somewhere."

Mom says: "Those things will happen on other days. Thursday afternoons are saved especially for you to be able to do nothing or do 100 things. But you have to think of them yourself and learn to spend time with yourself. You have a science kit, you can read, you can pretend or have the water on in the back yard. You can play outside or inside and do whatever you want to do."

"I don't want to do anything! "

Mom says: "That is a normal way to feel at first but soon you may start looking forward to your quiet Thursday afternoons, when this special time is saved just for you."

(2) comments

Filed under: Daily Routines, Interesting Parenting Matters, Play

Comments

Thanks Kitty….this is exactly what i needed to read. My 6 yr.old has a hard time settling into free time, but once he gets started he can play, pretend,sing,dance or create something for a long time. Sometimes I do feel guilty that I am not providing him with extra-curricular activities. I realize with gr.1 around the corner and full-time days at school, he’s going to be filled with enough information & activities for a while. I will make a point of designating a certain day/period of time for free time. Thanks again.

By Betty-Ann Jacques on September 2, 2009

Hi Kitty,
Hallelujah! It seems almost ludicrous that we need to schedule in free time. Thank you for stating what should be obvious so clearly. We can only teach the importance of time for being by modelling it and valuing it. Beautifully said.

Raymond Parenting

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