The kids and I have been planning out their extracurricular activities for the 08-09 school year. Aee wrote each activity on a card along with the date and time of the activity.
As I laid out their chosen activities, I realized that Jee's Mondays would look like this:
5:45 Up with brothers (since they always wake him up "by mistake")
7-8 Skateboarding with Dad
8-2:30 School
2:30-3:45 Basketball
4-5 Fencing
5-7 Home, dinner, homework
7-8 Cub Scout meeting with Dad
8:30 Late bedtime
Hum, that's --way-- too much for a 7 yo.
And you know what would have happened if we hadn't written out the schedule?
1. Sign up for classes since they all look fun.
2. First Monday of class, so much of a whirlwind (getting other kids to & from theirs also) that we don't notice what's happening, only that "we're busy".
3. After the first month, burn-out happens. He's tired by late afternoon and we look into dropping a few extras...
There is absolutely no purpose behind the crash and burn approach, although I know that's how a lot of people live.
Planning WORKS.
