It’s spring break, which for some means breaking the bank to make sure our children are getting every opportunity to learn and develop while not at school.
But hold on a second.
In this, the fast-paced information age, there is a growing recognition of the need to step back from a heavy schedule and give children, and adults, a chance to catch their breath.
Some have dubbed the movement lazy parenting, a phrase that can be confusing. The point is to keep time for ourselves, and to ensure children of all ages are allowed, or told, they
In February, University of Victoria professor Dr. Janni Aragon revised her 2013 blog post, Do Not Glorify Busy, a topic among the most popular posts on her blog janniaragon.me.
In short, it’s unhealthy the way our culture glorifies ‘busy.’ Finding balance in life is a skill, part of a happy existence.
“It feels like academia in particular, one-upping the next person about how busy we are,” Aragon told the Saanich News. “People talk about how busy we are like it’s a badge, but it’s not a badge.”
The reaction she gets from adults is one of relief and reinforcement.
“People love it, they want to feel it’s okay not to be busy. It’s about children, sometimes they are over scheduled. You need to book them thinking time, time to do nothing, otherwise it’s exhausting for parents, and it’s exhausting for the kids,”
Downtime helps children learn how to be alone, a skill that can help them later in life. For kids, passing the day without screen time can be a matter of problem solving.
“Take the storm on Sunday for example, we had now power at our house, and I didn’t know what to do,” said Aragon, “I took a nap and read my book.”
Aragon lives in Gordon Head with daughters, 12 and 18.
