Is the rise of after-school activities turning parents into taxi drivers and leaving children with no time just to play asks Sylvia Thompson
There is a cute television advertisement which features a six or seven-year-old girl, giving instructions to her mum about where she has to drive her for today's activities. Meanwhile, her brother's voice comes through on a walkie-talkie, asking her to drop him to football.
In an exaggerated fashion, the mother asks the young girl if she'd mind sharing the journey with her brother. It's all vaguely amusing but the message is clear that this mother spends a lot of her time taxiing her children to and from after-school activities.
It's a familiar scenario in many families and the pattern of driving (yes, children are mainly driven to and from these after school activities) those little darlings to football, ballet, swimming, violin or piano lessons will fall into place in the next few weeks as children settle into the new academic year.
Many parents are caught on a treadmill of after-school activities for their children, putting extra strain on the family finances, albeit with the best interests of their children at heart.
But does it really have to be this way? Are we at risk of over-scheduling our children's lives in the rush to give them opportunities to play sports, learn how to play musical instruments and express themselves creatively? Are we bringing up a generation of youngsters who will be turned off by most activities before they reach their teens?
John Carr, general secretary of the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) says that teachers are aware of some children who can't get their homework done because they have so many after-school activities.
He suggests the trend is partly due to parents working longer hours and feeling children must have something to do at all times.
"Today, many children's lives are more tightly scheduled than most adults. Some children even have their own gym membership. This is great, except in some cases, it is over the top. In some cases, they is not enough time left for children to hang about with one another, play or simply do nothing.
"Children need their own free time and space every day. It gives them choices to make as to how to fill that time - talking with friends, reading or developing hobbies."
Geraldine Graydon from the National Parents' Council (Primary) believes that while many after-school activities will broaden children's experiences, sometimes they result in children being bored with subjects such as physical education or music in school because they have already done these things in after-school activities.
She says: "After-school activities shouldn't be an extension of school. School is tough enough for children. What they do after school needs to be fun and they need to be with other children. There are children who are doing something every day of the week and on Saturdays. I know with my own children, I tried to keep their activities to two days a week. Three days is pushing it and four or five is far too much."
Parents will often admit that they enrolled their first child in several after-school activities but when it came to the second or third child, they were more guided by the child's own interests and the effects bringing children to and from activities had on the family as a whole. "Bringing two or three children to different after-school activities puts a huge strain on parents. Some children will also find it too tiring, but I don't think you can prescribe how many activities is enough or too much, it depends on the individual child and the family circumstances," says one parent of four children.
International research suggests that this phenomenon of structured activities and the increasing commodification of leisure (ie painting classes rather than mucking about with paint at home) is partly due to parents' heightened fears for their children's safety and therefore a greater desire to have control over their time.
Experts in some countries have come to realise that over-scheduling children's lives can have negative effects on the child and have made serious efforts to create "home zones" or safe places for children to play.
As well as having restricted areas for traffic, these areas also have street furniture, seating and play areas for children of different ages.
Researchers in Britain have found that opportunities for free play are being squeezed out or downgraded in terms of their perceived learning value.
In Ireland, the National Children's Office has acknowledged the importance of creating home zones and child-friendly environments alongside the need for local authorities to develop play policies.
Psychologist Rosemary Troy suggests that it's all about getting the balance right. "We don't want them to become overstressed adults with no balance between their work, home and social lives. If we put children under too much pressure with too many activities, they won't learn about balance.
"Spontaneous play is a serious business for children. It teaches them to prepare for grown-up life. It helps them purge their fears and learn boundaries. Relaxing with their friends is very important at any age. Children, just like adults,- need time to be spontaneous, relax and have fun."