WOHMS to blame for overscheduled kids
Find a Conversation
WOHMS to blame for overscheduled kids
| Sat, 04-12-2003 - 12:48pm |
SO the latest round of magazines are being passed between some friends/family and I just read an article about the over stressed, over scheduled children. The journalist profiles an upper middle class family - dad own a business, mom SAH (she works about 10hrs a week doing the books, but for the article she is a SAHM). Their 4 children are into a TON of activities. Everyone is stressed, they eat too much fast food, don't get enough sleep - all the usual stuff. After we are introduced to this family, the article discusses the reasons for this phenomona and even though the Mom says she wouldn't let her children pick just one activity becuase it is too limiting - the author points right to WOHM as the cause.
Reason #1 - WOHMs feel so guilty about working that they try to maximize every second by enrolling in all of these activities (seems like backward logic - if you were feeling guilty about NOT being with the kids wouldn't you cut out activities to be with them - what do I know?)
Reason #2 - All of the WOHMs have thier kids enrolled in activities, so if the SAHM kids want to play with anyone they have to enroll thier children too.
Schlocky journalism? Pandering to the demographic (presumably of SAHM)? Undertones of a societal view of WOHM?
Memeber Support
Visit our Member Support area or browse the iVillage Help forum
| Q: | Where can I change my password? |
| A: | Log in, go to Edit My Preferences, and click the Account tab. Make and save your changes. |
Pages
If you were to say that your kids weren't doing something *every* day after school in my neighborhood, you would hear about how an early bedtime and a non fast food dinner are so unimportant next to art lessons and the almighty hockey ice time.I think lack of sleep and lack of good nutrition is a real problem in kids.I think activites *are* important, but we Americans seem to have a hard time with the concept of balance.
The Boston Globe did a story on this, but it was a more glowing account about how educated sahms/ pt wohms see child raising as a job and apporach it as such with tight schedules and family strategy meetings.
SUS
<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />Â
As I was reading, it dawned on me that it was the same article you were talking about. (LHJ, right? I'm thinking this is another one I can let go of. :) ) There was a paragraph or two inserted as to how this 'overscheduling' was the fault of the WOHM's in this family's neighborhood, but that seemed really irrelevant to the particular situation.
The suggestions for resolving it seemed pretty simplistic, too. Limit the kids to fewer activities, plan meals so you can have groceries on hand, plan meals ahead in order to limit last minute fast food runs, learn to cook at home, don't expect the whole family to attend every single game/practice/activity.....Who lives the way these people do???
The whole thing sounded overblown so that the magazine could offer a tidy solution.
SUS
I do know plenty of parents both working and not that try to do it all . . . I never thought it was strictly a WOHM mom issue. I was told that it's good to keep your kids busy so they don't get bored and into trouble. An athletic child might get a scholarship. Having your kids at a planned, supervised activity is so much better (and easier) than having them and their little friends in your living room playing video games or trashing your back yard with toys. Have them entertained, encouraged, and coached by others - and catch your meals at the Burger King drive thru.
I'm sorry if I sound flip . . . I've had many parents ask me why we don't have our kids do more - and they tell me how wonderful it would be. I prefer to see my kids entertain themselves, even if it means I must entertain a few extra kids in my house come snack time or on rainy days. When I get supper on the table - all the little friends go home and we get to eat home-cooked food as a family. Everyone gets to watch a little TV and go to bed early.
Are they bored? Sometimes . . . but they find something to do real quick if I start assigning chores. Will my son win athletic scholarships? Only if he can develop his own raw talent shooting hoop with dad in the driveway. I think they'll turn out just fine.
Pages