Overscheduling children, whether it is with organized sports, clubs, or other adult-led activities, also means that they are missing out on the benefits of being bored. Too many stimuli means little time for the mind to rest and recover. And, frankly, little time for kids to figure out who they are and what they want. In the US, this busyness begins already in the early years, but it doesn’t end there. Rather, the wheels of after-school activities seem to spin even faster—on top of an increasing homework load—the closer the students get to college.
