Extracurriculars Are Extra

Parenthood is awash with immense pressure to do right by our kids. We are told that children need certain (expensive) experiences to ‘get ahead’, and many of us observe our parenting peers invest in countless extracurriculars. But children need downtime, and recent research suggests that children should experience twice as much unstructured time as structured enrichment.

On today’s show podcaster Kathryn Garland and I discuss how to find the structured, extracurricular sweet spot for your family.

Here’s a preview:

[4:30] Scheduling rule #1: Family First (not Kid First!)

[9:00] Boredom matters, and white space is vital

[15:00] When dabblers don’t fit into a world of specializers

[22:00] Musings on extracurriculars, the ‘rat race’ and getting ahead

[26:00] Start with the end in mind (and other tips for finding the extracurriculars sweet spot)

[31:00] Words of encouragement for leaning into the quiet and into the slow

Resources mentioned:

• Don’t Sign Your Child Up For That (Extra)Curricular
• Episode #478: Charting A Rich Life
• Homespun: Create The Life You Crave Podcast
• Kathryn on Instagram

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