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iQuestions Faculty, Dr. Kevin Leman 
 
 
Question: 
 
My child is involved in lots of after school activities and sports. How 
much is too much? 
 
Answer:  
 
Bulletin . . . bulletin . . . bulletin. You are about to hear an anti-
American statement: “Get your kids out of all the activities you’ve got 
them involved in.” 
 
Now that I have your attention; let’s talk about activities. I know many 
a parent who thinks that activities are great for kids. Well, let’s set the 
record straight. Activities are not, in and of themselves, good for kids. 
Nor are they good for families. 
 
Here’s the problem. When your nine-year-old daughter is in Bobby 
Sox’s, you’re in Bobby Sox’s, everybody in the family is in Bobby 
Sox’s. It’s a major commitment for a family to have a kid involved in 
one activity. Today, we have kids involved in a plethora; one of my 
favorite words in life; a plethora of activities. Not good for kids. 
 
We all have cell phones, right? Let me give you the cell phone call 
between a mom and a dad. “John, John! Where are you? Would you 
listen to me? I just got a call from Samantha’s Tae Kwan Do teacher. 
If you don’t get over there and pick her up right now, she’s going to be 
left in the dark. What? No, that is Tuesday nights. When are you going 
to get that through your head? No, I can’t pick her up! You know that. 
I am soccer mother of the month! What! No, just get over there and 
get her. She’s going to be left in the dark.” 
 
 
We chuckle and laugh, but I’m telling you, that’s America today; 
pushing kids from pillar to post; getting them into every activity. And 
somehow, we’ve deluded ourselves into thinking that this is good for 
kids. It’s not good for kids; one activity, per kid, per semester. I’m a 
former Dean of Students. Pardon my thinking in semesters, but that’s 
how I think.  
 
So, limiting kids’ activities; as un-American as it sounds; is a great 
idea and not only for your son or daughter, but for you and your sex 
life. Now, that’s an important thing! 
 
 
 
Leman -2- 
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