Modern parents all tend to expect too much from our children, and they want to cram too much in, too soon. For instance, some parents pay $8000 a year to send a three-year-old child to a pre-school, although what their kids can learn is only drawing, singing and dancing a little bit.
This does surprise you, doesn't it?
The life-quality has been improving day to day, which means more and more parents can afford to let their kids participate in many activities. Sometimes, no matter what their kids are thinking, parents force them to do what they want, what they think that is necessary for their kids. They "reward" their kids with more and more lessons.
I think kids are seriously terrified by their parents nowadays. A parent offering their three-year-old kids a head start in life by sending them to a pre-school indicates that they are preparing for their kids' kinder-garten; which means preparing for their prep; which is to prepare them to start school. Well, I'm sure it will start a stampede.
We must be honest. I think it is absolutely unnecessary to give kids music lessons, singing lessons, tennis, tap, swimming, etc. before they they can even write their names.
But modern parents all feel pressured to do this. Why??? Perhaps they think they are rewarding their kids because they can work in order to afford to give them what is considered to be "luxurious" today. They don't even know that they have paid too much to swamp their kids with too many things to do.
It is true that children can swim a little, sing a little, play the piano a little and know how to dance a little, but have they forgotten how to play???
When taking a survey in a group of kids, we can easily see that a trip to the local park was really special to them. Why? Because it was only a "once-a-year treat". More and more kids stay indoors, having their lessons on weekends instead of taking part in games and outdoor activities with their friends. I think parents should have asked themselves; what do their kids really need. Well, they prefer seeing Disneyland in school holidays to having lessons. They expect to be entertained.
I believe that parents still remember their childhood, when weekends meant playing games with their siblings and other kids from around the neighborhood. And do you think they remember that they hardly ever spent more than 10 minutes indoors for the whole weekend? As soon as their chores were done, they were off. There were bikes to ride, games to make up and other kids to play with, so who could say thay they were bored?
Too many parents, in my opinion, are pushed on this boring routine called 'parenthood,' believing that they are somehow neglecting their kids unless they let them know every activity.
It is time for parents to remember that most of them never had these experiences and they all turned out OK.
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