Comments on: Busyness Is Killing Us (Or Why We Should All Take Up Fishing)

By: Jason

Jason — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 18:43:33 +0000

In reply to Chris. Good for you for seeing the light and making some changes, Chris. Most people don't seem to have the desire. Which is it's own brand of insane :)

By: Jason

Jason — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 18:39:08 +0000

In reply to Kelli.

Kelli,

Yeah, utilizing kids to do some of the chores is a great way to teach responsibility AND give you some time for YOURSELF! (I can’t wait till my little girl is old enough to start washing dishes — it will be a great day in my household)

But in any case, it sounds like you’ve got some pretty lucky kids by today’s standards. Forts rock!

By: Jason

Jason — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 18:32:52 +0000

In reply to Tim. He may have been, Tim. Good insight about parents living through their children. I think you're right on. The phrase keeping up with the Joneses is not always limited to stuff. I think a good many parents compare their kids to their friends' and neighbors' kids and maybe push them too hard in order to make sure they "measure up."

By: Tim

Tim — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 03:49:55 +0000

Hi Jason:

You make some great points here…I don’t have kids, but yeah everything seems 10 times more competitive for kids today than anything used to be for me (I think I’m a little older than you). To be honest, I don’t know how parents do it these days. When I was a kid, my mother never made much money…but somehow she had money to take me to a lot of Cubs and White Sox games when I begged her. These days tickets for a family of 4 and some food might be half a month’s rent or mortgage.

I also think that sometimes parents push their kids too hard because they live through their kids too much. Yes, parents need to encourage their kids…but I sense that they also need to listen and pay attention to clues that their kids give them. Just my two cents.

Anyhow, great drawing of Ken Griffey Jr. by the way. I remember exactly where I was that season. Wasn’t Robin Ventura a rookie that season, too?

By: Megan Zuniga

Megan Zuniga — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 02:41:25 +0000

This is sad. I always thought it was cute that kids these days know what they want to be when they grow older--made them seem more mature. I never realized how badly it affects them. My generation the kids take drugs because of peer pressure and boredom. Kids these days are too stressed out that they turn to drugs. I don't think they'd want to go fishing, it's kinda boring. But that's the idea right? to involve them in much more relaxing activities. Give them something to do other than drugs--something that won't pressure them. It might be tricky because kids these days are more independent. They always wanna do their own thing.

By: Kelli

Kelli — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 16:13:47 +0000

Thanks for reinforcing my thoughts! We live in the country and homeschool our kids. I tend to not sign them up for long term things, a few weeks for a library class or something like that. But I try to keep our schedule open so we can do things when ever and what ever we want to do. Right now, at 11AM, they are out in their fort playing. Two of them are young enough that they get breaks often and they go outside to play. ‘Their time’ is important to me. Most of the time I do some of their chores, which leaves me no time for myself! But I see that I am doing this and working on it! Thanks for what you do!

By: Tweets that mention Busyness Is Killing Us (Or Why We Should All Take Up Fishing) — Escape Adulthood with Kim & Jason -- Topsy.com

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 11:33:44 +0000

[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Steve Sherlock. Steve Sherlock said: Busyness Is Killing Us (Or Why We Should All Take Up Fishing) http://bit.ly/cDFY5V "kids don’t have the time to figure out who they are" […]

By: Chris

Chris — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 18:33:51 +0000

Thanks for that Jason – I remember how I used to brag about how busy I was, as if it was a badge of honour. I think it’s in your 8 Secrets book, though, that using busyness in that way is completely insane, though, and that changed the way I think about it.

So, basically, I think you’re right here, and I want to thank you for helping me to start breaking free of the insanity of unnecessary busyness.