Time management key in balancing kids' activities, experts say

http://www.jg-tc.com/articles/2006/02/12/news/news001.txt

To say some students are busy as bees is an understatement.

By KRISTA LEWIN, Staff Writer
Published on Sunday, February 12, 2006 10:10 PM CST

Maintaining grades and social ties are sometimes more than the average
school student can handle. But for Shelby Corbell, Mattoon Middle
School eighth grader, homework and socializing with friends are just a
part of the activities she adds to her itinerary.

Corbell participates in softball, basketball, volleyball, track,
scholastic bowl and band. Some activities are sprinkled throughout the
school year, while others overlap.

"I enjoy all of them," said Corbell.

Keeping organized and having a calendar are the ways she deals with her
busy schedule.

And most importantly, "Grades come first," Corbell said.

Some students are capable of handling additional activities, while
others break under the stress and may need intervention from an adult
to help with time management.

Susan Harding, nationally certified psychologist and Mattoon school
district psychologist said, "Today more children than ever before,
like adults, are involved in far too many activities than they can
realistically handle."

Recently, Harding received a call from a parent indicating her child
was anxious, having trouble sleeping and that he was tired all the
time. A doctor said the child had no medical problems and then referred
the child and parent to Harding.

The psychologist asked the woman about the child's schedule.

"His mother told me that, in addition to school, he was involved in
three team sports, church activities, Boy Scouts, and had guitar
lessons twice a week," said Harding. "Finding nothing else to
explain the child's symptoms, I suggested his stressful schedule
might be the cause."

The mother told Harding her child could not be stressed because he
thoroughly enjoyed everything he was doing.

"However, when I spoke with her son, he indicated he missed playing
games with friends in the neighborhood," Harding said. "Such simple
things as riding his bike, playing touch football, and watching movies
were important to him."

Many parents feel if their child is involved in multiple after-school
activities, then they will have a leg up when they apply for college,
Harding said.

Tim Condron, assistant principal at MMS, said middle school students
are offered many choices when it comes to the extracurricular
activities. Added to all the changes they are going through, it can be
stressful, he said.

When MMS added girls' softball to the lineup of extra-curricular
activities, Condron said the season overlapped with the start of
girls' basketball.

"When we have sports overlapping, our coaches try to make the
practices shorter and our teachers, who work in teams, try to decrease
the workload," Condron said.

Michele Sinclair, assistant principal at Mattoon High School, said high
school students also have to budget their time wisely.

MHS participates in the Big 12 conference and this requires long trips
to away games, Sinclair said. When games are scheduled on week nights,
sometimes the only time the athletes have to finish their homework is
on the bus, Sinclair said.

Condron and Sinclair encourage students to talk with parents and or
school staff if they are feeling overwhelmed or need advice about
scheduling.

"We want the students to be successful," said Condron.

Condron suggested parents and students talk to the coaches or activity
sponsors before the students sign up so they will know the schedules.

"We talk to our seventh and eighth-graders at the start of the school
year about becoming overwhelmed with school work and activities,"
said Condron. "We try to make them aware of it."

Kim McQueen of Windsor, parent of Bailey, 10 and Brittany, 14, said she
and her family have a calendar with big boxes so they can write their
schedules on it.

"The calendar shows where everybody is going to be," said McQueen.
"My husband and I try to work it out where one of us is at a game. We
don't want to be over stretched and we don't want to send our kids
to these activities and not know what they are doing."

Bailey McQueen, a student at Windsor Elementary School, is active in
several activities including cheerleading, sports, church youth group,
student council, BB gun and 4-H.

Mrs. McQueen wants her daughters to experience different activities,
but said the parents have to set limits.

"If it upsets our family harmony or if it interferes with church,
then it has to go," said McQueen.

But McQueen said they also teach their children responsibility and
commitment. If they sign up for something, they need to finish the
season unless they are injured or if it interferes with their grades,
she said.

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