So it makes sense that our kids are harried too. Research has confirmed that children in the 2000s do have less free time than kids in the past. In a national study, researchers at the University of Michigan compared the experiences of children ages three through 11 and found that as of 1997, children spend approximately 30 minutes less per day in unstructured play and outdoor activities than their peers in 1981. It means they're spending more time at school, for one, and are also participating in more structured activities, such as group sports. Still, keeping your child busy is not necessarily a bad thing.
Many adults have a romanticized vision of childhood.
We remember riding bikes, jumping rope or playing baseball in back lots. We tend not to remember being bored, lonely or glued to the TV set. Playing in a soccer league, studying Spanish or taking art classes outside of school are all healthy ways of keeping kids occupied and stimulating their imaginations. Don't drop an activity after one complaint. If your kid gives his first violin lesson a resounding thumbs down, don't take immediate action.