Race to Nowhere

classicalmama
Sun, 01 May 2011 21:38:29 +0000

Can’t help butting in 1012…“a lot of down time for teenagers is dangerous and unnecessary?” Where are you coming from? I feel real pity for any kid who hasn’t learned to experience, appreciate and learn to handle down time in their lives. It’s a time to learn silence, decompress and think. It doesn’t need to be productive in the eyes of others.



I see where 1012 is coming from. Downtime IS essential for kids, especially when they’re little. But most teenagers that I know who aren’t busy–and some who are–don’t spend their free time decompressing in silence–they spend it hanging out with other teens, which way too often for my comfort ends up in drinking, smoking dope, or endless video gaming. Given the options, I’m a fan of busy. In fact, I’d argue that a kid who plays year-round sports and does one or two other EC’s will be more physically tired during down time, making quietly decompressing on the couch at home look pretty good on a Sunday afternoon, as opposed to wandering around the mall.