The Importance of Free Time
by Barbara Frank
Free time was once the hallmark of childhood. But these days, many parents feel it's their duty to keep their children busy. This mindset can be found in parents who both work outside the home and need somewhere for the kids to go during off-school hours, parents who compete with other parents regarding whose child is the most "well-rounded", parents who want to give their children every so-called "advantage", and parents who believe their children will fall behind or get into trouble unless their schedules include every activity that can be crammed into each day.
The result is a generation of children who are so accustomed to organized activities that they don't know how to entertain themselves (unless there's a television or video game nearby). They're the total opposite of the kind of workers needed to grow our economy in the future. America needs creative innovators, not passive participants or couch potatoes. So if you want to encourage your children's natural creativity, reduce the amount of time they spend in scheduled activities, and give them more free time instead.
What is free time? It's unstructured. It's not directed by adults. It requires that children move through boredom in order to arrive at the place where the innate creativity of the child kicks in and comes up with something to do. But many parents dread the thought of free time for their children, because they know it will be a matter of moments before the "I'm Bored!" chorus begins.
If you have children whose time has always been planned out for them, they won't know what to do with a lot of free time at first. But if you stick to your guns and require them to entertain themselves on a daily basis, they will (perhaps out of desperation) figure it out.
So what will they do with all their free time? They can make things and work with their hands. They can use their imaginations to come up with games, structures, even toys. In the absence of planned activities and formal schedules, children are incredibly good at learning from their play. They just need enough time to do so.
Children also need time to be alone so they can think. In this frantically scheduled world we live in, even adults find they don't have time to just sit and think. But quiet introspection is important for everyone, young and old. It's particularly important for those who create things. Much solitary thought is required for pursuits such as writing, painting, inventing, etc.
Free time isn't only a necessity for small children; older children and teens need plenty of it, too. Many extremely creative people are late-bloomers (as Edison was). They need ample time alone as they grow older and discover what their gifts are, and how they want to use them. Unfortunately, parents and schools tend to increase the outside activities of teens just when they really need their personal time.
Tightly scheduled lives are detrimental to creativity. In 1996, Harvard Business School professor Teresa Amabile, an expert on creativity and business innovation, led a research project to study creativity in the workplace. Amabile and her team pored over almost 12,000 journal entries from over 200 people working on creative projects in a variety of different companies. One of their most important conclusions was that time pressure actually decreases creativity. While many people (myself included) feel that working against a deadline makes them more productive, it may not make them more creative. It takes time for creative ideas to grow and develop in our minds. The Amabile study found repeatedly that creative people on a tight time schedule found their creative abilities hampered not only up until their deadlines, but even for a few days afterward.
What this means for our children is that they need regular free time in order to feed the creativity and spirit of innovation they were born with. It takes time to get deeply involved in a creative pursuit; as parents, it's up to us to make sure our children get that time.
Copyright 2012 Barbara Frank/Cardamom Publishers
Excerpted from Thriving in the 21st Century: Preparing Our Children for the New Economic Reality, (Cardamom Publishers, 2011). Barbara Frank homeschooled her four children for 25 years. You'll find her on the web at www.barbarafrankonline.com
August 22, 2012
Challenge!
...this is a copy and post from Babraba Frank:
I prefer to buy products that are made in the USA, but it’s not always easy. I also prefer not to buy products made in China, and that’s not easy either. Now I’ve been challenged (by an email forward, of all things), to see if I can walk the walk, for the entire month of August.
I’m game; how about you?
AUGUST 1st to SEPT. 1st
Well over 50 years ago, I knew a lady who would not buy Christmas gifts if they were made in China. Her daughter will recognize her in the following.
Did y’all see Diane Sawyer’s special report? They removed ALL items from a typical, middle class family’s home that were not made in the USA. There was hardly anything left besides the kitchen sink. Literally. During the special they showed truckloads of items – USA made – being brought in to replace everything and talked about how to find these items and the difference in price, etc. It was interesting that Diane said if every American spent just $64 more than normal on USA made items this year, it would create something like200,000 new jobs!
I WAS BUYING FOOD THE OTHER DAY AT WALMART and ON THE LABEL OF SOME PRODUCTS IT SAID ‘FROM CHINA’
FOR EXAMPLE THE “OUR FAMILY” BRAND OF THE MANDARIN ORANGES SAYS RIGHT ON THE CAN ‘FROM CHINA’
I WAS SHOCKED SO FOR A FEW MORE CENTS I BOUGHT THE LIBERTY GOLD BRAND OR DOLE SINCE IT’S FROM CALIF
Are we Americans as dumb as we appear — or — is it that we just do not think? The Chinese, knowingly and intentionally, export inferior and even toxic products and dangerous toys and goods to be sold in American markets. 70% of Americans believe that the trading privileges afforded to the Chinese should be suspended. Why do you need the government to suspend trading privileges? You Can DO IT YOURSELF, AMERICA !!
Simply look on the bottom of every product you buy, and if it says ‘Made in China’ or ‘PRC’(and that now includes Hong Kong), simply choose another product, or none at all. You will be amazed at how dependent you are on Chinese products, and you will be equally amazed at what you can do without. Who needs plastic eggs to celebrate Easter? If you must have eggs, use real ones and benefit some American farmer. Easter is just an example. The point is do not wait for the government to act. Just go ahead and assume control on your own.
THINK ABOUT THIS: If 200 million Americans each refuse to buy just $20 of Chinese goods, that’s a billion dollar trade imbalance resolved in our favor…fast!!
Most of the people who have been reading about this matter are planning on implementing this on Aug. 1st and continue it until Sept. 1st. That is only one month of trading losses, but it will hit the Chinese for 1/12th of the total, or 8%, of their American exports. Then they might have to ask themselves if the benefits of their arrogance and lawlessness were worth it.
Remember, August 1st to Sept. 1st! START NOW.
If we can’t live without cheap Chinese goods for one month out of our lives, WE DESERVE WHAT WE GET!
Pass it on, America …
Well, come to think of it, instead of doing it for just 1 month why not try to do it all the time?
I prefer to buy products that are made in the USA, but it’s not always easy. I also prefer not to buy products made in China, and that’s not easy either. Now I’ve been challenged (by an email forward, of all things), to see if I can walk the walk, for the entire month of August.
I’m game; how about you?
AUGUST 1st to SEPT. 1st
Well over 50 years ago, I knew a lady who would not buy Christmas gifts if they were made in China. Her daughter will recognize her in the following.
Did y’all see Diane Sawyer’s special report? They removed ALL items from a typical, middle class family’s home that were not made in the USA. There was hardly anything left besides the kitchen sink. Literally. During the special they showed truckloads of items – USA made – being brought in to replace everything and talked about how to find these items and the difference in price, etc. It was interesting that Diane said if every American spent just $64 more than normal on USA made items this year, it would create something like200,000 new jobs!
I WAS BUYING FOOD THE OTHER DAY AT WALMART and ON THE LABEL OF SOME PRODUCTS IT SAID ‘FROM CHINA’
FOR EXAMPLE THE “OUR FAMILY” BRAND OF THE MANDARIN ORANGES SAYS RIGHT ON THE CAN ‘FROM CHINA’
I WAS SHOCKED SO FOR A FEW MORE CENTS I BOUGHT THE LIBERTY GOLD BRAND OR DOLE SINCE IT’S FROM CALIF
Are we Americans as dumb as we appear — or — is it that we just do not think? The Chinese, knowingly and intentionally, export inferior and even toxic products and dangerous toys and goods to be sold in American markets. 70% of Americans believe that the trading privileges afforded to the Chinese should be suspended. Why do you need the government to suspend trading privileges? You Can DO IT YOURSELF, AMERICA !!
Simply look on the bottom of every product you buy, and if it says ‘Made in China’ or ‘PRC’(and that now includes Hong Kong), simply choose another product, or none at all. You will be amazed at how dependent you are on Chinese products, and you will be equally amazed at what you can do without. Who needs plastic eggs to celebrate Easter? If you must have eggs, use real ones and benefit some American farmer. Easter is just an example. The point is do not wait for the government to act. Just go ahead and assume control on your own.
THINK ABOUT THIS: If 200 million Americans each refuse to buy just $20 of Chinese goods, that’s a billion dollar trade imbalance resolved in our favor…fast!!
Most of the people who have been reading about this matter are planning on implementing this on Aug. 1st and continue it until Sept. 1st. That is only one month of trading losses, but it will hit the Chinese for 1/12th of the total, or 8%, of their American exports. Then they might have to ask themselves if the benefits of their arrogance and lawlessness were worth it.
Remember, August 1st to Sept. 1st! START NOW.
If we can’t live without cheap Chinese goods for one month out of our lives, WE DESERVE WHAT WE GET!
Pass it on, America …
Well, come to think of it, instead of doing it for just 1 month why not try to do it all the time?
August 21, 2012
SUMMER FUN
Our summer flew by. After our week at VBS, we hosted 2 exchange students. A girl from Finland, and a girl from Russia. The Finnish girl, Erika, is a gymnast. The girls had so much fun together:)
We enjoyed time at home and day trips together.
We enjoyed baking too:)
Faith and Dalina were also part of a Mother-Daughter Book Club. They read the Addy series of the American Heritage Girls. They learned about slavery and explored food of that era.:)
Here they are sewing an Ida Bean doll:)
After our students left, we headed to Alabama - all four of us- to empty our house and visit. It was a great trip, so good to see our friends. It is so nice to have our things (especially my king size bed)! Movie nights, field trips, playing with friends, swimming lessons, international exchange students, book club, trip to Alabama via New York and New Orleans--we definitely made plenty of memories this summer!!!
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