God forbid parents don’t give their kids a “head start” in everything they do at every level of their development. Parents are proud of and pushing their children to read before they can walk or to know college level math in the 7th grade. Many children are experiencing what Elkind called the hurried child syndrome (2001). Parents are expecting their children to participate in numerous activities (sports, clubs, tutoring, art, dance, learning instruments, intense camps over the summer, etc.) all so that they can achieve and excel in every aspect of their lives, and develop skills so they can continue to participate at the highest levels of their development. Parents are pressuring children to do all these things and they are not even realizing the stress they are putting their own children under. They are passing the line between encouragement and pressure.
Parents even help their kids lie about their ages online so that they can get their own Facebook accounts (Richtel and Helft, 2011). Think about this, they are telling children to pretend to be older than they really are.
In a time when they are suppose to be playing outside or in the park; they are, instead, buried in books and studies.
Source: flickr
Children are also receiving pressures from school, both academically and athletically. In schools, Elikin points out in his book The Hurried Child,
Passing tests is seen as more important than meaningful learning, and education today is mainly a preparation for the workforce rather than a preparation for life
Education has become a fast paced learning environment where the focus has become on learning and studying for the test. Even children in kindergarden today are receiving homework on a daily basis compared to the past when kindergarden was a time to dance, play and learn songs like “one, two, pick up my shoe.” Children are also pressured by school coaches who are yelling at them to “do better!” or “pick up the pace!” Doctors specializing in youth sports and child development say that, despite what some parents may think, there is no such thing as an 8-, 9- or 10-year-old ‘star’ in running. … True talent and commitment are not genuine before puberty. (Belkin, 2009)
Children may perform better in school and feel more confident about themselves if they are told that failure is a normal part of learning, rather than being pressured to succeed at all costs, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association.