
Over-scheduling children during the summer is unnecessary - kafkaesq
http://qz.com/704723/to-be-more-self-reliant-children-need-boring-summers/
======
primitivesuave
I run a summer program that teaches kids to code, and I find that the kids who
come into our classes are legitimately motivated to learn computer science.
One of the key focuses of my program is to have them be creative with code,
like building games with Java, solving problems with Python, or constructing
Arduino robots from off-the-shelf materials. A lot of these kids would not
discover their passion for technology without taking a structured class that
introduces it to them in a fun way and encourages them to be creative.

That being said, there are some programs that are simply horrible at
introducing these ideas to kids. There are large summer camp organizations
spread across many locations that have over-commercialized the summer camp
business, who have become skilled at leaving parents oblivious to the true
level of education their kids are receiving. A kid who loves Minecraft will be
thrilled by the brief exposure to Java code while modding it, followed by
hours of playing Minecraft on rented computers (something they can easily do
on their own at home).

In my particular niche of summer education, there are countless programs that
do an absolute disservice to kids trying to learn something outside of their
normal schoolwork during the summer. They are placated by simple copy-and-
paste coding, drag-and-drop blocks that they could easily discover on their
own, and the trivial blinking of LEDs. Becoming a maker requires a commitment
to learning on the part of students, and an organization willing to accept the
challenge of teaching it.

~~~
j_s
Can you link to any info about your program online? I am particularly
interested in the tools you find most effective in fostering creativity.

~~~
primitivesuave
Glad you're interested! I didn't want to make my original post a marketing
statement, the program is Techlab Education (techlabeducation.com). One tool
we use to foster creativity is our Java game development library at apcs.io,
it makes it easy to build games and creative applications of code. We're
working this summer on open-sourcing all of our curriculum and methodology so
schools and partner organizations can benefit from it. Let me know if you have
any questions!

~~~
j_s
What age group do you target, and is there a subset there where kids are more
interested and/or teaching winds up being more effective?

~~~
primitivesuave
We target 8 - 18 year old kids, and I've found that the 8-11 year olds learn
best with Python while the older kids 12+ learn best with Java. Our general
progression is to start kids of any age with Python using pythonroom.com, and
then move toward Java/web development/iOS as they become more comfortable with
computer science principles and syntax.

I've worked with brilliant 8 year olds that absorb programming like sponges,
and I've had reticent teenagers who discover a passion for computer science
through Java game development. I've also had the kids who refuse to make an
effort to learn despite my best efforts. More than anything, the experience of
teaching real computer science to kids has taught me that it's not for
everyone, and that's not a bad thing at all. As long as every kid understands
what technology can do and what problems it can solve, they can be effective
adults in our rapidly modernizing society.

------
up_and_up
We are secular homeschoolers. For us, there is no summer break and when the
kids get bored during their free time they come up with the most creative
things. Ex: They decided to build their own mud cafe with menu, prep kitchen,
seating etc. Every food item was essentially made out of mud. Another ex: my
daughter was bored and tinkering around with a snap circuit set. All the
sudden I hear a faint sound of sports radio. She had built her own AM radio
without any help.

Over-scheduling, scripted play, etc in my mind hampers a childs ability to
develop deep imagination and creativity.

Checkout the unschooling or self-directed learning movement.

~~~
niels_olson
How do you manage screen time?

~~~
surge
[https://www.penny-arcade.com/news/post/2014/06/30/screen-
tim...](https://www.penny-arcade.com/news/post/2014/06/30/screen-time)
Subsequently: [https://www.penny-
arcade.com/comic/2014/06/30](https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2014/06/30)

~~~
Nadya
I'd like to add to a personal anecdote.

Sitting outside bored on a stump doing nothing productive was more "harmful"
for my development than spending hours on the computer playing an MMO. On the
MMO I learned social interactions, supply and demand, how bronze is made,
puzzle-solving skills, how to touch type, and even got to delve into some
basic statistics (drop rates, DPS calculations).

My father saw it as "wasting time playing some video game" instead of "playing
outside". Thankfully my mother had watched me play the game and saw that I was
actually learning and benefiting from it in a fun environment and would allow
me to play more or less as long as I wanted after my homework was finished.
Other benefit: this was the only time in my life I ever did my homework.

------
blacksmith_tb
Good in principle, but I assume most parents are more or less desperate to
find some kind of childcare in the summer, not having the luxury of being
bored themselves with the little dears. So it's off to chess camp or else.
Unless one parent doesn't work, or you're well-off enough that junior can be
bored with some kind of nanny or minder...

~~~
artpepper
^ This. I love the idea of spending this summer at home with my kid, reminding
her to look at her list of interesting activities ... but realistically that's
not going to happen.

~~~
tajen
It's hard to stay in the same city as the grand parents, but that's where it
becomes incredibly useful.

~~~
dagw
Am I the only parent who feels incredibly guilty every time I have to foist my
kid onto my parents? It's not like they don't have their own lives and their
own shit to do.

~~~
codesmurf
I also think you should talk to them. Both pairs of grandparents to my
children enjoy the time they sometimes have alone with my children. That
relationship across generations can be a great gift to both your kid and your
parents.

------
bmj
I think the article misses a crucial component of this tendency--working
parents who have to fill the time left by summer vacation from school. If you
don't have a high school aged child, you really can't leave them completely to
their own devices for eight hours a day (yes, there probably are some 10 year
old kids that are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves, but I don't
know many parents who leave elementary school aged kids at home every day,
alone).

That said, I do know some parents who don't need to over-schedule their kids'
time (that is, one parent does not work, or has a flexible schedule), but
still do it because they don't know how to just their kids be kids. Every
wasted moment is a moment their kids aren't being prepared for college.

~~~
LoSboccacc
on the other side of the spectrum, I distinctly remember forgetting all about
math between secondary school and high school (the only year you don't get
summer homework around here) - so I had a very rough first year.

but hey it all turned out ok in the end, so just my .02

------
vhost-
I find that many of my friends try to pack their lives full as adults. No one
embraces boredom at all. I'm a rock climber, so I know what it's like to get
out and do something, but holy crap are people scared of "wasting a day".

~~~
hvidgaard
I think it's an epidemic we face. We have everything at our fingertips, and
compare our average to other peoples best (think of all the posts on
facebook). Being bored for long enough time, eventually leads to introspection
- and I think that for some people that is a scary thing.

It may just be confimation bias, but when I look around me, people that are
fine with sitting a sunday in their garden and enjoy a book, are more content
with their life, than people that have the next 9 weekends booked with various
activities.

------
cel1ne
Boredom and waiting is when all the essential thought-structuring happens,
that we miss nowadays. Because we are able to fill every minute with media,
which often engage our emotions too, we get distracted and worse at
prioritising.

If you can, allow yourself 5 minutes each day without apps, music or even
books. It's worth it.

~~~
Moru
As long as I can remember I have had periods when I have been bored. When I
was small I kept nagging at my parrents and they just ignored it, it's
important as a child to find things to do by yourself. When I got older I
started feeling proud that I could just sit and wait without bouncing off the
walls. Now I get a bad conscience when I'm not doing something, it feels like
I'm not pulling my weight. But at the same time I know that being bored is
important for my wellbeeing. This is time when my brain gets to rest and
recover.

~~~
lkozma
I totally sympathize with what you write, let me just fix the spelling/word
usage:

"conciousness" -> "consciousness", but what you mean is actually "conscience".

~~~
Moru
Ah, that is why it seemed so wrong, thanks!

------
cpncrunch
Running my own business and developing my own products, I find boredom useful.
After finishing a project I find it more useful to just relax for a few days.
As well as preventing burnout, it also allows me to think about what would be
the most productive use of my time.

------
elgenie
"Over-scheduling" is by definition harmful, but the core disconnect is that
there's a 9-month calendar of organized learning (with occasional breaks) and
year-around parental commitments. If the article is correct and boredom is
beneficial for internal motivation, it doesn't make sense for that boredom to
be "overscheduled" into a 3-month section of the year.

In the US: "the 9-month calendar that most schools operate on was established
when 85% of Americans (and students) were involved in agriculture, and when
climate control did not exist in school buildings. In today's United States,
only about 3% of Americans are engaged in agriculture [and] most schools have
air conditioning." The result is a roughly one month loss in education level
over the three month break, depending on parental involvement (the kids whose
parents are less involved in brain enriching activities lose more). [0]

[0]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_learning_loss](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_learning_loss)

~~~
ivanhoe
They loose some math & reading skills, but they also get some other skills and
benefits, depending how they spend the summer. Some will socialize, some will
play sports, some will read a book or play games. And if they're at least
averagely intelligent, these other skills might be more important for their
future mindfulness and life, since they'll be able to pick up on math &
reading anyway, it's not THAT hard after all. Also, in my own experience,
forgetting and then re-learning usually leads to a much deeper understanding
of the subject than what you get first time you go through it.

------
Illniyar
So nice theories, but are there any studies made to back this up? I see no
mention of any kind of science here.

~~~
handojin
Isn't it possible that science is, occasionally, the problem, not the
solution?

What experiment would you perform? To falsify what hypothesis?

~~~
alayne
Science isn't a problem or a solution, it's the search for the truth.

~~~
handojin
Strictly, for knowledge, which isn't the same thing as truth.

------
Aloha
Obvious headline is obvious. That said, I went to school with kids who were
very much overscheduled - nearly every moment of their lives seemed to be
planned out by over enthusiastic but well meaning parents, who thought that
well rounded meant 'do everything'. I was left alone - I found my way to
technology, and many of my peers are still wandering alone in the metaphorical
desert trying to find their spark or purpose in life.

------
konschubert
> Dr. Teresa Belton [...] told the BBC that boredom is crucial for developing
> “internal stimulus,” which then allows true creativity.

This also applies to grown-ups.

------
d4nte
I'm not exactly a child anymore, but between the end of spring semester and
the beginning of a summer studying abroad, I've had three entirely free weeks.
The first three days, I was extremely restless. I thrive on accomplishing
things and am accustomed to a very full schedule. But as this article
suggests, empty time isn't useless; having no deadlines and no forced
deliverables encourages self reflection and exploration. Looking back, having
a few days of emptiness forced me to evaluate my interests and goals and then
rediscover things that I'm genuinely excited about. I finished a couple of
books that have been on my shelf forever, learned (at least the basics of)
python, and spent some time working through interesting CTFs. I'm not sure if
I'll ever have such an opportunity again, to simultaneously not work, not
study, and have zero major responsiblities, but I'm incredibly grateful for
the time I've had.

------
kinai
In our 6 week summer holidays we did the following: 1 week visit grandparents,
1-2 weeks other vacation, rest time spending time outside, building
treehouses, playing in the mud, doing stupid things, chilling at the lake,
going swimming, bike tours, camping with friends. <\-- my summer in a box.
America really has an issue with stressing out their children with education
and extra curriculums

------
koolba
The real solution is to abolish summer vacation. Education should be
continuous and year round.

~~~
douche
Ugh, let's just lock them in a box with a hamster wheel and a feeding tube. Or
a Dr. Venture learning bed. Nothing good will come of wasting even more of
children's time in public schooling. Let them go outside, read some books they
actually want to read, go fishing, work a little bit. Let them be children.

Really, we should all get a summer vacation. Obviously, doing it all at the
same time would be problematic, but the standard ten or fifteen days off over
the whole year is just stupid. I would kill for two and a half months off to
learn some hard things and get some projects done.

~~~
seanp2k2
If you really want this, you can probably have it, and you needn't go anywhere
near as far as murder to get it. I know of quite a few people who make a
living through various types of contracting (software and mechanical
engineering in the cases of two personal friends who do this) and take off a
few months each year to travel and relax. It won't maximize your cash flow,
but it could maximize your happiness if that's what would truly do it for you.
I suggest that you seriously look into it and consider if that would give you
more fulfillment :)

------
qrendel
Clickbait headline is clickbaity.

TFA pretty clearly indicates that they're recommending kids be forced to
design their own activities to overcome boredom, not have their summer pre-
planned by their parents with "chess camp, art school, cooking classes, or
tennis lessons."

Since most people only read the headline, as stated this seems like
justification for parents depriving their kids of options in a sterile
environment (or just banning whatever the latest moral panic is) while telling
themselves, "Boredom is good for you!"

~~~
dang
Ok, we changed the title to a representative sentence from the article.

