Guest writer

Let kids be kids

Make the most of adolescence

The beginning of each new school year signals a flood of parents to after-school programs and local youth centers to sign their children up for extracurricular activities like soccer, guitar lessons, ballet, and theater classes. This year, parents should keep one question in mind: Am I giving my adolescent valuable opportunities, or crippling stress?

Jean M. Twenge, a psychology professor at Case Western, found that "normal" children today are more anxious than child psychiatric patients in the 1950s. High levels of stress increase cortisol in the brain, which can cause individuals to be more vulnerable to mental illnesses and disorders.

Unfortunately, this year will introduce a new generation of children who are stressed out, over-scheduled, and over-worked. Adolescents today spend significantly less time outdoors compared to their counterparts 40, 30, or even 20 years ago. Similarly, children participate less in rough-and-tumble play, which is crucial for their cognitive development. Constant attachment to technology is yet another source of anxiety for many children. The "ready-made" nature of the world around them often denies adolescents the opportunity to develop their creative faculties and problem-solving skills.

To begin to tackle this issue, we must understand adolescence as a marked period of development. Although markers vary between regions and cultures, adolescence is identified by undeniable biological, social, and emotional markers. Perhaps most importantly, it is a period of self-exploration and growth from dependent child to an independent adult who is active in the social, economic, political, academic, and artistic spheres. This vulnerability and opportunity to make mistakes is simply not afforded to adults.

However, this self-exploration that characterizes adolescence can be hindered by overwhelming stress. Adolescence is a period of heightened vulnerability and stress, which can be attributed to the multifaceted emotional and physical changes children will experience. The pressure to succeed in school, to be a star athlete, and to be an accomplished artist weighs down on each and every youth in the country. This pressure can stem from the all-too familiar helicopter parent whose excessive interest in their child's life can be stifling. Or children can be affected by greater societal pressure to be well-rounded high-achievers.

It is no doubt that parents have good intentions in scheduling their children for so many and such varied extracurricular activities. Parents want to see their children succeed; their academic, athletic, and creative skills must therefore undergo fine-tuning, and their ability to work both individually and on a team must be strengthened.

In 2016, parents recognize the economic hardships that the following generations will face. The job market is constantly changing and adolescents today must be able to adapt. Even before students reach the job market, getting into college is a series of hoops that high schoolers must jump through as evidence of their Ivy League academic potential, social/political involvement, athletic ability, and creative insight.

About a month ago, Simone Biles joined the ranks of hundreds of previous Olympic participants (and gold medal recipients) under the age of 20. She has been a gymnast almost literally all of her life. Referencing her demanding practice regimen, Simone says, "I've never gone to a homecoming; never a prom. I gave up a lot ..." It is no question that Simone is a dedicated and driven individual who loves her sport and receives great joy from competing. However, we cannot deny that she missed out on many rituals central to the adolescent experience, namely having free time to hang out with her friends and develop other passions.

It is absurd to think that children can spend all their time playing outside or that technology can be removed from their daily lives; these are simply not attainable goals if we want to give children access to incredible opportunities and decrease stress. Instead, I suggest that parents cut down on the number of extracurriculars in which their child participates.

Let kids be kids! Engaging in rough-and-tumble play and having leisure time fosters the imagination. Young children will develop their cognitive abilities in ways that other children might not. Even eliminating one scheduled activity can exponentially improve the lives of adolescents so they feel freedom to explore their interests without the added pressure to perform.

As an adolescent, I was considerably less scheduled and less stressed than my peers at my highly selective college. I narrowly avoided carrying this social pressure with me to college like many others did, and I could not be more grateful. Forcing your child to be well-rounded by managing every second of their day does little but instill anxiety and feelings of inadequacy regarding performance, academic or otherwise.

Adolescence is an undeniable and crucial period of development. Let's help our children make the most of it.

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Jessica Rood, a native of Springdale and graduate of Springdale High School, currently attends Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

Editorial on 10/03/2016

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