While a variety of activities is healthy and positive, one of the best things a parent can do for their gifted child is provide them with some downtime.
Busy, busy, busy. In this day and age, it seems as though everyone find themselves busier than ever before. For the gifted child, this can be compounded by an intense interest in one or many subjects, and a need to keep busy to avoid getting “bored.”
The parent of a gifted child wants to make sure their child stays challenged, so on top of school, there are all those lessons, from art, music and drama to math, science and languages. Add sports teams, social groups and clubs to the mix, and kids’ schedules can fill up fast.
While all of these activities are healthy and positive, one of the best things a parent can do for their gifted child is provide them with some downtime.
According to studies, children’s free time over the past 20 years has seen a steep decline – an average of 12 hours a week. Compared to their parents, children today have an average of 50 percent fewer unstructured outdoor activities and 25 percent less playtime.
If your child’s life is overscheduled, here are some tips to help you become less exhausted, and your children become more “freed up”:
- Downtime should be unstructured and unencumbered time to be creative, play and relax.
- It’s all about balance. If your child will spend all of their undirected time on one thing, offer them more choices.
- Provide a wide array of activities for downtime, including puzzles, games, art supplies, clay, etc.
- Limit the amount of time spent on activities such as television, computers and video games.
- Fresh air and sunshine. Nothing beats some time outside, climbing trees, throwing a ball, playing with the dog, jumping rope…what ever your child enjoys.
- Non-competitive sports can be a great way to get your child out and about, running off some of that extra energy and refreshing their mind for other things. Plus there are added benefits like developing sportsmanship, learning to work with a team and finding new friends.
- As children get older, encourage them to read for pleasure, not just for the sake of learning or to do homework. Make sure there are lots of books around.
- Look to family time as a way to vary your child’s schedule and give some much needed relaxation.
- Parents need downtime, too, and kids benefit greatly from time spent with the adults in their lives. Find a hobby to spend time on together.
- Daydream, daydream, daydream. Nothing encourages the mind to wander to creative places like quiet time alone.
Finding the right mix of downtime activities for your child can make all the difference for your gifted child.
