Activites Vs Children

Why does society force the idea that we must be productive to be happy? Well, its all about the money. The world economy is based on growth, meaning that if a person wants to be successful they must help their company and country sell more, create more, and be more than its competetors. This in itself is not a terrible thing, as it has made people motivated to create all of the life changing and life saving technologies we have today. However, what is terrible, is the way this agenda is being forced onto children. The debate between giving children scheduled and unscheduled activites is complex, because, yes, both will teach children many important lessons, but the difference in how these children will view themselves and perform in their

Many people support scheduled activities with the belief that it will teach important charactar traits such as commitment, teamwork and dedication. This is most likely true, but the implication that children who do not participate in these activities do not obtain those very same traits is simply false. All interactions with other children and adults will teach social cues and values that will allow for a sense of responsibility and obligation to fufill the expectations set each individual. The difference is in whether the children feel obligated to do something because an adult or set of rules told them, as they would learn in sports, music lessons, or scout meetings, or if these children feel obligated to be productive and complete something because they themselves want to or because its the right thing to do. This ability to self-motivate and create one's moral code is something that can only be brought about by having free time to not only play but also to make mistakes and learn from

That does however bring up the question of how one values themselves. Is it really healthy for a child to base their identity on their acomplishments? Ideally, a child should learn that their identity is based on who they are, how they interact with others, and their goals. Yes, its important for a child to be proud of their acomplishments but if this is the only time they are proud of themselves then they will undoubtebly be unhappy and feel unworthy when they are not in a place where they can acomplish anything. We must prepare children for a world in which their boss may not praise them for something or they don't meet all their goals but they are still motivated to keep working. This can be taught during free play that builds a childs motivation to do things even when their is not a reward motivating them. These children will be happier in their lives and more productive even in workplaces that do not constantly reassure and motivate