Supernanny Jo Frost reveals well-meaning habit can make kids ‘snappy and rude’

The Supernanny star revealed she suffered from anaphylaxis last year (Picture: Getty) From swimming and horse riding to drama and guitar lessons, when it comes to extracurricular activities for your kids, the options are endless. It’s natural to want to give your little one the opportunity to find their passion — after all, you could have the next piano maestro or England captain in your midst. But in a recent Instagram post, Supernanny Jo Frost said that ‘overscheduling’ a child can oftentimes lead to ‘snappy, rude, emotional, or hyperactive’ reactions. In fact, she says a young child deprived of down-time is a recipe for disaster. ‘Your child does not need more activities,’ Jo stressed. ‘I’m seeing more children who are completely overscheduled. ‘On paper it looks wonderful but here’s what’s really happening… they’re overwhelmed. This harmless habit could be putting unnecessary stress on your children (Picture: Getty Images) ‘You’ll see it as irritability, meltdowns over tiny small things, difficulty sleeping, anxiety, or a child who says: “I want to go.” ‘That’s not laziness, that’s a nervous system that’s had enough.’ What exactly did Jo say? According to Jo, some parents may not ‘value’ the fact that children need rest just as much as their parents do. Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. ‘Some children are taking part in three or four extracurricular activities a week, with certain sessions not finishing until way into the evening at night. ‘If that child has been awake since six or seven in the morning, think about the length of their day and the impact that has on their sleep, routines energy, and nervous system when it happens consistently.’ If your child is constantly ‘overscheduled’, Jo emphasises that the exhaustion will eventually show in their behaviour. Whether they’re lashing out or snapping at you, or even becoming noticeably quiet and withdrawn, these signs may indicate that their schedule is overwhelming them. It might be time to rethink your child’s schedule (Picture: Getty Images) ‘Children need time to come home and simply potter around to colour, paint, play with their toys if younger, listen to music, maybe sing, write lyrics, be with other kids from the neighborhood, create, or do absolutely nothing for a while,’ the Supernanny adds. ‘That time is not wasted. It allows their bodies and minds to come out of a heightened state and move into rest mode’. Heidi Skudder, parenting coach and speaker at The Baby Show, tells Metro that overscheduling is an issue she sees show up in conversations with her clients ‘all the time’. ‘Without realising, we’re so often moving our children from one activity to another — weekend classes, after school sports and activities. ‘Some of the time this is for childcare reasons, for example when school hours don’t match a working day, but often it’s just because it seems to have become the norm.’ Numerous parenting experts agree that this is a reoccurring issue (Picture: Getty Images/Maskot) Heidi shares that she recently worked with a mum whose six-year-old boy was constantly pushing back and being rude. ‘When we looked underneath the behaviour, we saw that all he was really doing was pushing back on expectations around going to these extra curricular activities and all he really wanted was a cuddle on the sofa with his mum and some Lego time.’ Do you think there's such a thing as 'too many clubs'? No, keeping busy is a good thingCheck It depends on the childCheck So, what should parents be doing? Heidi explains that if you’ve started experiencing certain challenges with your child – meltdowns, big feelings, rudeness or aggression – it’s worth sitting down together and working out how they can ‘do less’, whether it’s saying no to weekend plans or dropping one of their clubs. One helpful tip Jo recommends is taking ‘an honest look at your family calendar and child’ and asking yourself: ‘Does my child have enough time to rest, or are they simply moving from one commitment to the next?’ While Jo appreciates that some children may claim they want to do everything, she adds that it’s important to remember you are still the parent. ‘It is your responsibility to decide how much they can reasonably manage’. Arrow MORE: The dangerous social media scoreboard ‘game’ every parent needs to know about Arrow MORE: Jessie Cave thinks handling one child is harder than 4 – here’s what parents think Arrow MORE: Boys and girls really are different — and it starts within hours of being born