I have the privilege of working with a diverse group of younger clients. They are differing ages, faiths, ethnicities, family make-ups, the list goes on and on. One common thread that I have noticed amongst them is that they have no free time. When they are not at school they are at a sport, lesson, tutor, appointment or on a scheduled outing with a friend. While all of those things are important they leave no time for two extremely important things. 1. Creativity and 2. Relaxation. Creativity allows for young people to entertain themselves without specific instructions as to how. They decide how to fill their time. They get to develop healthy habits of finding something on their own to do when they are bored. When you consider the amount of instantaneous gratification our young people are facing each day with television, iPhones and the internet its no wonder that their creativity muscles have not been flexed. Setting aside free time (free of scheduling and technology) allows them to consider new options. It helps them to problem solve. In the beginning you will most definitely hear the cry of "I'm booorrred". Try to refrain from fixing that problem for them. Sure you can throw out a couple of suggestions but leave the end decision to them. The next is relaxation. Relaxation is actually a skill. It is healthy self-care and so necessary. Some parents feel that if a child has a few hours of down time that they will get lazy or complacent. That is not the case. They need to know that it is ok to relax and that it is a good thing in moderation like anything else. Parents often say to me that they would kill for a few hours of relaxation. Teaching kids from early on that it is ok to take care of themselves and take that break can help to create healthier habits as adults. I would encourage parents to try and model these skills. This makes the message full circle and you are walking the talk.
