When a child is always on the go with sports and other after school activities, it could put them at risk for hurried child syndrome. A psychologist explains why.
If it feels like your child always has something going on after school, whether it’s sports or other activities, it may be time to scale back their schedule.
As Kate Eshleman, PhD, psychologist with Cleveland Clinic Children’s explains, when a child is too busy, they’re at risk for something called hurried child syndrome.
“Hurried child syndrome is described in popular media as a way that we interact with our children. Day-to-day, our children are involved in so many activities that we are hurried all throughout the day to get from one thing to the next,” said Dr. Eshleman. “And that’s in the broader concept of really hurrying our children to develop more quickly than is really appropriate for their age.”
Dr. Eshleman said when a child is constantly on the go, they may start to feel stressed, anxious, or even exhausted.
Be very mindful as a parent that if a kid is staying up late because they’ve been at practice, and they need to shower, and then they need to do their homework, and they’re not getting enough sleep, that could impact mood, concentration, interactions. Especially since being that active requires a lot of focus.
It can also impact their home life since they don’t have the time to sit down for family dinners or take part in unstructured play and unstructured play is an important part of a child’s development.
What can parents do to prevent hurried child syndrome?
She recommends talking to your child about their schedule and figuring out what activities are most important to them. Then determine if that fits with your family’s time, finances, and values.
Dr. Eshleman also notes that social media can also play a role in causing hurried child syndrome and suggests limiting access.
Source: https://newsroom.clevelandclinic.org/2025/02/10/what-to-know-about-hurried-child-syndrome
