Doing Nothing Is Something Anna Quindlen Summary
The Reality of Downtime
We all worry about what is best for our children. This is no different for Anna Quindlen. Quindlen writes children’s books, novels, and is best known for her non-fiction work on current events and life. “Doing Nothing Is Something,” is an article she wrote in 2002 for Newsweek about children not receiving enough downtime. She explains that our children are over scheduled and they don’t have enough time to be “bored” and reflect on life. Over a decade later I feel this statement is still accurate, yet it needs revision. Children do need downtime, but they also need structured activities. There needs to be a balance.
After reflecting on Quindlen’s article, I started examining my own childhood compared to that of my siblings. My younger siblings are 10 and 14 years old. Their upbringing was very different than that of my own. They live very structured planned out lives filled with many activities. I was left to my own devices to learn and explore on my own. I’ve noticed that they don’t seem to connect to the world and need something or someone to constantly entertain them. I, on the other hand, had no structure and feel like I could have learned valuable skills such as time management and responsibility. An even mix between the …show more content…
Though she doesn’t touch on having balance between scheduling and free time, many people recommend it. In the article “The downside of no downtime for kids,” published by PBS, Dorothy Sluss who is a professor of elementary and early childhood education stated, “For every week of intensive activity or sleepaway camp, children need three weeks of less-structured time.” Sluss went on to explain that the time children take to reflect is when “they develop and have sensory stimulation.” The article has a large focus on children being in activities to help their communication skills but relates is back to their alone time and being able to reflect better in their own
We all worry about what is best for our children. This is no different for Anna Quindlen. Quindlen writes children’s books, novels, and is best known for her non-fiction work on current events and life. “Doing Nothing Is Something,” is an article she wrote in 2002 for Newsweek about children not receiving enough downtime. She explains that our children are over scheduled and they don’t have enough time to be “bored” and reflect on life. Over a decade later I feel this statement is still accurate, yet it needs revision. Children do need downtime, but they also need structured activities. There needs to be a balance.
After reflecting on Quindlen’s article, I started examining my own childhood compared to that of my siblings. My younger siblings are 10 and 14 years old. Their upbringing was very different than that of my own. They live very structured planned out lives filled with many activities. I was left to my own devices to learn and explore on my own. I’ve noticed that they don’t seem to connect to the world and need something or someone to constantly entertain them. I, on the other hand, had no structure and feel like I could have learned valuable skills such as time management and responsibility. An even mix between the …show more content…
Though she doesn’t touch on having balance between scheduling and free time, many people recommend it. In the article “The downside of no downtime for kids,” published by PBS, Dorothy Sluss who is a professor of elementary and early childhood education stated, “For every week of intensive activity or sleepaway camp, children need three weeks of less-structured time.” Sluss went on to explain that the time children take to reflect is when “they develop and have sensory stimulation.” The article has a large focus on children being in activities to help their communication skills but relates is back to their alone time and being able to reflect better in their own