Onaverage,Americankidsages3to12spent29hoursaweekinschool,eighthoursmorethattheydidin1981.Theyalsodidmorehouseholdworkandparticipatedinmoreofsuchorganizedactivitiesassoccerandballet(芭蕾舞).Involvementinsports,inparticular,rosealmost50%from1981to1997:boysnowspendanaverageoffourhoursaweekplayingsports;girlsloghallthattime.Allinall,however,children’sleisuretimedroppedfrom40%ofthedayin1981to25%
“Childrenareaffectedbythesametimecrunch(危机)thataffectstheirparents,”saysSandraHofferth,whoheadedtherecentstudyofchildren’stimetable.Achiefreason,shesays,isthatmoremothersareworkingoutsidethehome.(Nevertheless,childreninbothdouble-incomeand“malebreadwinner”householdsspentcomparableamountsoftimeinteractingwiththeirparents19hoursand22hoursrespectively.Incontrast,childrenspentonly9hourswiththeirsinglemothers.)
Allworkandnoplaycouldmakeforsomeverymessed-upkids.“Playisthemostpowerfulwayachildexplorestheworldandlearnsabouthimself,”saysT.BerryBrazelton,professoratHarvardMedicalSchoolUnstructuredplayencouragesindependentthinkingandallowstheyoungtonegotiatetheirrelationshipswiththeirpeers,butkidsages3to12spentonly12hoursaweekengagedinit.
Thechildrensampledspentaquarteroftheirrapidlydecreasing“freetime”watchingtelevision.Butthat,believeitornot,wasoneofthefindingsparentsmightregardasgoodnews.Ifthey’respendinglesstimeinfrontoftheTVset,however,kidsaren’treplacingitwithreading.Despiteeffortstogetkidsmoreinterestedinbooks,thechildrenspentjustoveranhouraweekreading.Let’sfaceit,who’sgotthetime?
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