When activities keep our cars rolling and everyone exhausted, it's time to ask, "Are the kids really enjoying this, or is our family life suffering because of it?"  Constantly on the run to music, dance and other lessons, sports practice/games, parties, field trips and other school events...we HOPE that it's providing them an exceptional education.  Extracurricular lessons and events are wonderful but with all the time and energy required to keep up, is it crowding out Family Time and making everyone tired, cranky and irritable? 

Mom drives the taxi, waiting an hour per child or running errands with the little ones, arriving home exhausted. Yet, she  still needs to make dinner, spend time with her husband and get the kids to bed on time,...continuing with laundry and/or lessons for the next day! ~ Homeschool moms and "working" (outside the home) moms BOTH work 24/7! 

Super Woman is a fantasy!  Extending ourselves to the breaking point of physical and emotional breakdown just increases our feelings of inadequacy.  Do we wait until we're diagnosed with a serious health condition, one of our children gets into trouble, or our marriage crumbles? 

Even kids long to slow down and spend more time with the family (or just rest) but parents are sometimes afraid the child will become a "quitter".  What does that teach them about a "balanced" life?  Are we encouraging them to be work-aholics, unable to choose between personal activities, marriage and children?  It's something to consider...

It doesn't matter where our children go to school.  This is a serious problem in middle and upper-class America as children are expected to do more and more, preparing for college acceptance, but life is short and Family Time is equally important!

At first, children may balk at the idea of spending time with the family, but if you plan something FUN and follow through with it, they'll make sure they don't miss out.  (Children grow up fast and before you know it, they're moving out!)

Sports, music, dance and other extra curricular activities are great but it's important to keep a balance between schoolwork, sports, lessons, family life and relaxation.

Teaching children to do chores every day will have lasting rewards!

There's no way one person can do it all.  Involve the whole family by giving children daily chores, according to their age and ability. 

Not only will they learn what it takes to manage a home but they'll also learn the value of working cooperatively with family members.  Then, one day, they'll have a home of their own and because they were taught the skills necessary to manage it, they'll be able to teach their own children the value of working, cooperatively.