Skip to main content
FamilyEducation
FamilyEducation
Family Education

FE-Menu

  • Pregnancy
    • <blank>
      • Pregnancy Tracker
      • Trying to Conceive
      • Signs & Symptoms
      • Pregnancy Health
    • <blank>
      • Baby Names
      • High Risk Pregnancies
      • Preparing for Baby
    • <blank>
      • Concerns & Complications
      • Labor & Delivery
      • Postpartum
  • Baby Names
    • <blank>
      • Browse All Baby Names (A-Z)
      • Top Names for Boys
      • Top Names for Girls
      • Baby Name Generator
    • <blank>
      • Baby Name Lists & Ideas
      • First Names By Origin
      • Browse All Last Names (A-Z)
      • Last Names by Origin
  • Babies
    • <blank>
      • Caring For Your Baby
      • Baby's Health
      • Feeding Your Baby
    • <blank>
      • Your Baby and Sleep
      • Baby's Growth & Development
      • Baby Hygiene
    • <blank>
      • Baby Safety
      • Baby Products
    • <blank>
  • Toddlers
    • <blank>
      • Toddler Growth and Development
    • <blank>
      • Toddler Behavior and Discipline
    • <blank>
      • Your Toddler and Sleep
  • Kids
    • <blank>
      • Health
      • Childhood Development
      • Fitness & Nutrition
      • Childhood Safety
    • <blank>
      • Communicating with Your Kids
      • Childhood Behavior and Discipline
      • Fostering Responsibility
      • Instilling Values & Manners
    • <blank>
      • Childcare
      • Neurodiversity in Kids
      • Adopting Children
  • Teens
    • <blank>
      • Teen Health
      • Teen Puberty & Sex
    • <blank>
      • Behavior & Discipline
      • Teen Social Development
    • <blank>
      • Values & Responsibilities
  • Activities
    • <blank>
      • Printables
      • Indoor Activities
      • Learning Activities
      • Arts and Crafts
      • Performing Arts
      • Food Activities
      • Outdoor Activities
    • <blank>
      • Books
      • TV
      • Movies
      • Online
      • Quizzes
      • Games
      • Celebrities
    • <blank>
      • Parties
      • Travel
      • Toys
      • Holidays
      • Gifts
  • Learning
    • <blank>
      • By Grade
      • By Subject
      • College
      • Preschool
    • <blank>
      • Back to School
      • Study Skills
      • Learning Styles
    • <blank>
      • Homeschooling
      • Parental Involvement
      • Your Child's School
  • Family Life
    • <blank>
      • Mom Life
      • Dad Life
      • Family Relationships
      • Having a Healthy Marriage
      • Divorce
    • <blank>
      • Health & Fitness
      • COVID Resources
      • Managing Your Home
      • Moving Your Family
      • Pets
    • <blank>
      • Family Finances
      • Work
      • Families and Food
  • NewslettersNewsletters
    Newsletters

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Family Life
  3. Managing Your Home
  4. Organizing Your Home
  5. Avoiding An Overbooked School Year

Avoiding an Overbooked School Year

Learn how to work with your kids to create a school schedule that works for everyone.
familyeducation logo
FamilyEducation Staff
Updated: December 1, 2022
  • facebook share icon
  • pin
  • twitter share icon
  • email share icon
  • Print page icon

Avoiding an Overbooked School Year

The Familiar Fall Scene

"Mom, I have soccer practice twice a week this year," announces 11-year-old Allison. And I think I'm going to make jazz band. Oh, and I want to keep up my sax lessons and take piano." As she chatters away, your heart sinks and your blood pressure rises. Another overscheduled school year's about to begin.

The end of summer brings an end to downtime for many busy families. From judo to jazz dancing -- opportunities abound for kids to pursue interests outside of school. And as they get older, homework loads also increase. These days, the demands on children's time can easily become overwhelming.

No surprise -- overscheduling is a strain for parents too. After all, you're the ones providing the transportation, keeping track of schedules, and making sure the piano gets practiced and the schoolwork gets done.

If you're worried that your child's school-year schedule may get out of hand, try strategizing ahead of time. These conversation starters can help.

The Words You Need

The Words: "It sounds as though you want to participate in lots of activities this year. It's neat that you're interested in so many different things."

The Reason: It's best to start out with a neutral or supportive tone. Many pre-adolescents are extremely sensitive to criticism, whether it's intended or not!

The Words: "Let's write down all the activities you want to do this year."

The Reason: Making out a schedule is a good way to help your child get a concrete, visual sense of how much he or she intends to do.

The Words: "How much homework do you think you're going to have?"

The Reason: Make sure your child has enough time each day for schoolwork. Don't forget to include long-term assignments and projects.

The Words: "Let's figure out what chores you're going to need to do and how long they'll take."

The Reason: Remember to include family obligations. Some, like setting or clearing the table, don't take up much time. Others, like walking the dog, may take up significant chunks of a day.

The Words: "What about hanging out?"

The Reason: Everyone needs downtime. Does your child have enough time for relaxing and recharging during the week?

The Words: "It looks to me like you're going to be awfully busy this year. I'd have trouble meeting all of these commitments. What do you think?"

The Reason: If, after you make out a schedule, you still think that your child's going to be overloaded, then say so.

The Words: "I think we may need to cut some things. Let's figure out what's most important to you and to me."

The Reason: This is a time to hear your child's priorities and share your own. If your top concern is, say, schoolwork, then make your expectations clear. In terms of extracurricular activities, it's probably best to let children set their priorities.

The Words: "I know all these activities are important to you, but let's check in every month or so and see how you're doing. If you're having trouble with schoolwork you may have to drop an activity."

The Reason: Experience is the best teacher. If your kids eliminate some activities, but are still overloaded, or if they refuse to eliminate any -- then it may be best to let them try to do too many things and deal with the consequences.

Next Steps

As children get older, it's important for them to start keeping track of where they need to be at what time. Post a schedule of your child's activities in a place where she can see it every day. Encouraging your child to take responsibility for her schedule can also remove some of the burden from your shoulders.

Lastly, think carefully about why your child is involved in so many activities. Is he or she playing piano or taking dance classes to please you? If so, these activities are likely to cause struggles at home that will only add to the pressure of a school year.

familyeducation logo
About the author
FamilyEducation Staff

This writer is a part of the FamilyEducation editorial team. Our team is comprised of parents, experts, and content professionals dedicated to bringing you the most accurate and relevant information in the parenting space.

View more articles from this author

What's hot

  • Eye color genetic chart Family LifeWhat Color Will My Baby'…
  • 10 Signs of Divorce Family Life10 Signs Your Marriage is Over
  • woman standing on scale Family LifeWhat's a Normal BMI for…
  • Young girl eating a oatmeal with berries after a workout Family LifeCalorie Intake for Weight…
NewslettersNewsletters
Your partner in parenting from baby name inspiration to college planning.
Family Education
FamilyEducation does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Your use of the site indicates your agreement to be bound by our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Information on our advertising guidelines can be found here.

FE Footer

  • Newsletter Center
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Editorial Policy
  • Editorial Team
  • Expert Panel
  • Cookie Policy
  • Site Map
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Terms of Use
  • Do Not Sell My Info (for CA Residents)
sandbox learning logo
Family Education is part of the Sandbox Learning family of educational reference sites for parents, teachers, and students. 

factmonster logoinfoplease logoTeacherVision logo

sandbbox logo
©2022 Sandbox Networks Inc. All rights reserved. Sandbox Learning is part of Sandbox & Co., a digital learning company.