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Unwinding the Kids
Why Children Need to Relax Too
By Mark Stackpole
Relaxation does not have to be quiet to be effective – being active can help, too. "Exercise can be done as a family activity after school or after dinner," Pelullo-Willis says. Take a walk, ride bikes, shoot baskets, throw a ball back and forth or dance wildly together. Remember that exercise is a way of winding down, and exercising without 'rules' is enjoyable, relaxing and physically beneficial."
Mathew Burcin of Escondido, Calif., may only be 5 years old, but he is already a veteran of soccer, t-ball, karate, music classes and too many play dates to count. Recently, he has added BMX racing to his impressive resume of sports and activities. Along with his 3-year-old brother, Sean, Mathew keeps his parents, Dave and Susanne Burcin, very busy. "There are times when we have been overextended," admits Susanne, a stay-at-
home mom. "We are conscious of finding a balance, but sometimes it gets pretty nuts." Since Dave, a health and safety consultant, works long days and battles a lengthy commute, the family sometimes finds itself on two separate schedules. Though the result is few family meals together, Dave makes sure to join the boys for an evening of board games or dominoes.
Susanne builds as much unstructured time into Mathew and Sean's day as she can. When the weather is nice, the family spends time outdoors. Other times of the year, the focus is on reading or arts and crafts. "I'm looking forward to taking the kids to the craft store, picking out a project and then coming home and doing it," she says. "The kids have fun and get the memory of making something themselves."
