Maybeyoushouldlearntorelax!

　　LifeforCathyTaylor'sthreechildrenisverybusy.Theirschooldaysarebusyenough.Afterschool,though,Cathytakesthetwoboysfromfootballtobasketball.Thenshehastotakeherdaughtertopianolessons.Thetiredchildrendon'tgethomeuntil7pm.Theyhaveaquicksupper,andit'stimeforhomework.

　　TheTaylorsarelikemanyAmericanandBritishparents.Theytaketheirchildrenfromactivitytoactivity,andtrytofitasmuchaspossibleintotheirkid'slives.Doctorssaymanychildrenareundertoomuchpressure.Teacherscomplainaboutteachingtiredkidsintheclassroom.

　　Mostchildrentakepartinafter-schoolclubs.Activitiesincludesports,languagelearning,music,andmathclasses.Pushyparentsarenothingnew,butnowparentsseemtopushtheirchildrenalotmore.Parentsseeotherchildrendoingalotofthings,andtheyfeeltheirownchildrenshoulddothesame.

　　LindaMiller,amotherofthreeinLondon,knowsallaboutsuchpressure."Insomefamilies,competitionstarsfromaveryyoungage,"shesays."Motherssendtheirkidstoallkindsofclasseswhentheyareveryyoung.Andtheyarealwayscomparingthemwithotherchildren.It'scrazy.Peopleshouldn'tpushtheirkidssohard."

　　DrAliceGreenagrees.Shealsosaysthatthesechildrenmayfindithardtothinkforthemselveswhentheyareolder."Parentsaretryingtoplantheirkids'livesforthem.Whenthesekidsareadults,theymightfinditdifficulttoplanthingsforthemselves."Parentsshouldlearntogivetheirkidsabitmoretimetothemselves.Ontheonehand,childrenneedorganizedactivities.Ontheotherhand,theyalsoneedtimeandfreedomtorelax,andtheyneedtimetodothingsbythemselves.