Too many things; too little time

I was listening to a friend of mine describe her daughter's schedule, and it scared me. She told me how her daughter would come home on the bus by 5:30 pm, start homework, leave for sports practice at 7 pm, return home at 8:15 pm to eat dinner and then do more homework until 10:30. She would then wake up at 5 am the next morning to finish up the rest of her homework. My friend is worried because she knows her daughter isn't getting enough rest and may soon experience burnout.

I think my friend is right to worry. As it turns out, our teens are unable to keep up with their schedules, unable to say no to our expectations and it is causing them intense anxiety. In the long-form article on that link, there are several examples of young teens who haven't figured out how to make the pressures in their lives stop. And I can't imagine what it is like as a parent to watch your child go through that.

My son sometimes asks if he can do another after school activity. And when he does ask for that, I try to approach the conversation carefully, showing him what we would have to give up or let go of in order to make that new activity happen. So far, he has appreciated the information and has agreed that the things he would be giving up (including family time) means too much for him to let go of.

I worry that this won't be the case forever, and I'll need to determine other ways to make sure my son has a balance in his life that works for him, without sacrificing his mental or physical health along the way. But, since I still struggle with my own work/life balance, I am already concerned.

How do you help your teen balance all the expectations placed on them? Share your strategies in the comments.