RESEARCH ARTICLE

Are Kids Too Busy? Early Adolescents

Perceptions of Discretionary Activities,
Overscheduling, and Stress
STEPHEN L. BROWN, PhDa BRANDYE D. NOBILING, PhD, CHESb JAMES TEUFELc DAVID A. BIRCH, PhD, CHESd

ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The activity patterns of children, especially after-school patterns, are receiving more professional attention.
However, evidence regarding the value of various activities in childrens lives is contradictory. The purpose of this study was to
assess perceptions of discretionary activities, overscheduling, and levels of stress from adolescents perspective.
METHODS: A sample of 882 children, ages 9 to 13, recruited at 9 health education centers in the United States was selected
for this study. Children answered questionnaires using remote, handheld devices. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics
and multivariate logistic regression. The outcomes of interest were activity-based stress and desire for more free time.
RESULTS: The primary predictor for the desire for more free time was hours of screen time (television, computer, video
games): those who reported 3 or more hours were nearly 3 times more likely to desire more free time. Further, children who
chose their own activities experienced more activity-related stress than those who shared decisions with parents. The single
greatest predictor of activity-related stress was the reported number of hours spent on homework. Students who averaged at
least 2 hours on homework per night were nearly twice as likely to report frequent activity-related stress.
CONCLUSION: Parents of school-aged children should assess activity-related stress and the degree to which children perceive
they are busy. Teachers, school counselors, and school administrators should be aware of these perceptions as they are making
decisions regarding school schedules and should teach personal skills such as time management and stress control.
Keywords: children and adolescent health; perceived stress; overscheduling of activities.
Citation: Brown SL, Nobiling BD, Teufel J, Birch DA. Are kids too busy? Early adolescents perceptions of discretionary activities,
overscheduling, and stress. J Sch Health J Sch Health. 2011; 81: 574-580.
Received on February 12, 2010
Accepted on September 2, 2010

ith increasing rates of childhood overweight,

more attention has been given to the activity
patterns of children, especially after-school patterns.
Studies have shown that increases in television
viewing and homework among children since the
1970s are leading to more sedentary lifestyles.13
According to the Youth Risk Behavior Study in 2007,
more than a third of adolescents watched television for
3 or more hours on an typical school day,4 and about
one fourth played video games or used computers
for nonscholastic purposes 3 or more hours on an
average school day.4 Television viewing of more than
3 to 4 hours a day has been linked to lower school
performance.5
A recent study by the Youth Media Campaign
Longitudinal Survey (YMCLS) explored the potential
associations among limit-setting, physical activity, and
screen time among 9-13-year-olds.6 This study found

positive associations among age, male gender, black

race/ethnicity, low-income, and hours of screen time.
Conversely, the study found negative associations
among physical activity (both free-time and organized
activities), parental limits on screen time, and
likelihood to exceed 2 hours of screen time each
day.6 Associations found in this study raise questions
regarding the parental role in screen time restriction
and parental control over other daily activities.
Findings like these have prompted questions about
what childrens schedules are really like. In a culture
where parents are encouraged to value their childrens
autonomy,7 are children allowed to be involved in too
many activities? Are parents encouraging too many
activities? And, in addition to calorie imbalances, are
children and adolescents experiencing other undesirable side effects? To date, there has been little research
on childrens perceptions of stress and busyness.

a Associate Professor, (slbrown@siu.edu), Southern Illinois University, 475 Clocktower Drive (Mailcode 4632), Carbondale, IL 62901.
bAssistant Professor, (bran80@siu.edu), Salisbury University, 1100 Camden Ave, Salisbury, MD.

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September 2011, Vol. 81, No. 9 2011, American School Health Association

Perhaps the most important study on childrens

time was conducted by Hofferth and Sandberg.7,8 It
investigated how children under the age of 13 spend
their time, and how variables such as parents level of
education, family size, and family dynamics affected
childrens school achievement. They categorized time
usage in 4 ways: (a) time spent in school settings;
(b) free play versus organized activities; (c) learning
activities outside the classroom; and (d) family activities. Although television viewing time did not affect
scores of achievement tests of reading, writing, and
mathematics abilities, family time did.7 Children who
reported more family meal time were more proficient
identifying letters and reading words aloud, as well as
solving word problems. Family time also affected scores
of the behavioral index, which measures parental perceptions of their childrens behavior problems. The
study also found that children with employed mothers
had less free time for both structured and unstructured
activities, primarily due to increased time in daycare
settings.7
Compared to teens in East Asia or Europe, American
teens spend more of their waking hours in discretionary activities, 50% versus 25-35% in East Asia and
35-45% in Europe.5 Hofferth7 compared American
childrens lives in 1997 to those in 1981, concluding
that children have lost 12% of regular free time, 25%
of play activities, and 50% of unstructured activities.
Conversely, contemporary children spend 50% more
time involved with structured sports and homework.7
Research regarding the value of structured versus
unstructured activity is unclear. Some studies report
mostly positive outcomes from structured activities,
while others have shown associations with increased
stress and overscheduling conflicts. Similarly, while
a few studies suggest that unstructured (and unsupervised) play can lead to delinquency, others argue that
depriving children of unorganized activities dampens
creativity and decisionmaking.9,10
Social scientists as early as Piaget believed that
unstructured play was an opportunity for various forms of development, including social, linguistic, cognitive, and emotional. Research suggests
that unstructured play is crucial in providing children opportunities to acquire resiliency skills.11,12
Wenner13 gives 3 propositions to support the need
for free play in childhood: (1) Childhood play is
crucial for social, emotional, and cognitive development. (2) Imaginative and rambunctious free play,
as opposed to games or structured activities, is the
most essential type. (3) Kids and animals that do not
play when they are young may grow into anxious,

socially maladjusted adults13 (p. 24). His last point

alludes to the work of psychiatrist Stuart Brown, who
interviewed approximately 6000 individuals regarding
their childhoods. Browns data suggest a clear association between the amount of free play as children
and adjustment and happiness as adults. Lawson5 suggests that the best approach for development is likely a
combination of structured and unstructured activities
that can teach personal and social skills, develop good
habits, and allow kids to play as an outlet to combat
daily stressors.
This study investigated early adolescents perceptions of the degree of busyness and stress in their
own lives. Eight research questions guided the study.
Although not specifically written to measure the performance indicators related to the National Health
Education Standards, 3 items generally addressed 3
standards (NHES) for grades 3-5 and 6-8 (Table 1).14

METHODS
This study was conducted as part of KidsHealth KidsPoll. The project was a collaborative effort among a
university research team, the Nemours Foundation,
the National Association of Health Education Centers
(NAHEC), and participating NAHEC member, health
education centers.
Subjects
Following institutional review board approval, children aged 9 to 13 years, who were students at schools
attending classes in 9 health education centers across
6 states, were recruited for the study. Prior to each
schools visit to the center, officials at the school
were contacted for permission to administer the survey to students during the visit to the center. If
the school agreed, passive parent permission for the
survey was obtained with each parents permission
for the student to visit the center. As a sample of
convenience, demographic data for the students in
the sample approximated National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) statistics for the same age
group. Students in the group ranged in age from
9 to 13, with an average age of 10.3; 53% were
boys.
Other demographic data were collected at the school
level, rather than from each student. A total of 883
students came from 21 schools. At the school level,
61% were White, 23% Black, 13% Hispanic, 2%
Asian or Pacific Islander, and 1% Native American.
The US Census Bureau Metropolitan Statistical Area
(MSA) was used to measure locale. Seventeen percent
of schools were in large city centers, 9% midsize city

c Doctoral Candidate, (teufel@siu.edu), Southern Illinois University, 475 Clocktower Drive (Mailcode 4632), Carbondale, IL 62901.
dProfessor, (birchd@ecu.edu), Department of Health Education and Promotion, East Carolina University, 3106 Carol Belk Building, Greenville, NC 27858-4353.

Address correspondence to: Brandye D. Nobiling, Assistant Professor, (bran80@siu.edu), Salisbury University, 1100 Camden Ave, Salisbury, MD.

Journal of School Health September 2011, Vol. 81, No. 9 2011, American School Health Association

575

Table 1. Relationship Between Research Questions and National Health Education Standards15 (NHES)
Item
Number
1
2
3

Research Question
How many non-school-related activities are children involved in?
Who chooses childrens activities?
What is the average amount of daily screen time (ie, TV, video games,
computer) children engage in?
What is the average time spent doing homework during the school
week?
What are childrens perceptions of the amount of time dedicated to
homework regularly?
Do children wish they had more free time?
Do children feel stressed?
What would children choose to do with more free time?

4
5
6
7
8

centers, 28% large city fringe, 5% midsize city fringe,

1% large towns, 18% small towns, and 9% rural.
Average school size was 501.
Instrumentation and Procedure
Instrument items were not on a scale; therefore,
internal reliability was not applicable. To address
face validity of the survey, the research team along
with experts in the area of child development, school
health education, and stress in children constructed the
instrument. These experts represented both the education and medical professions. In addition, the final
version of the instrument was reviewed by school
principals and teachers prior to administration. The
instrument was piloted with 1 class at 1 participating
center. The data collection method, using handheld
devices, had been used at all of the participating centers in previous KidsHealth KidsPoll studies. Before the
actual administration of the questionnaire, students
were allowed to practice with the handheld devices.
The 10-item child-friendly questionnaire included
2 demographic items and 8 construct-related items.
Students answered each item using handheld data
collection devices. Items on the instrument addressed
each of the studys 8 research questions, including the
amount and type of activities in which participants are
involved. In this study, child participants were told the
word activity meant activities that are planned or
organized, such as sports, lessons, teams, clubs, groups,
scouts, or tutoring.
Data Analysis
Data collected with handheld response devices were
imported into the Statistical Program for the Social
Sciences (SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL). An alpha level
of .05 was established a priori. Descriptive statistics
such as proportions, central tendency, and variance
were calculated. Inferential statistics included Pearson
product correlation and multivariate logistic regression
for nominal data assessing odds ratios for outcomes
based on predictive variables.
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September 2011, Vol. 81, No. 9

NHES

Standard 2.8.4: Analyze how the school and community can impact
health practices and behaviors
Standard 1.8.3: Analyze how environment impacts personal health
Standard 5.8.7: Analyze the outcomes of a health-related decision

RESULTS
Kids Busyness Levels
The vast majority (62%) of students claim that they
choose their own out-of-school activities, followed by
29% who say they use cooperative decisionmaking
with their parents. Only 9% said their parents chose
most of their activities. Older students were more likely
to claim autonomy over their activities.
Reports of screen time were bimodal; about half
reported 2 or fewer hours of screen time, while over
40% reported more than 3 hours. Boys were more
likely to report more than 3 hours. Older students were
also more likely to report 3 or more hours of screen
time. There were no gender differences among those
who chose the activities or the number of activities.
More than three fourths (82%) of participants
claimed to have an hour or less of homework per
night. Ten percent said they have about 2 hours, and
8% reported having 3 or more hours per night. Neither
gender, age, who chose activities, or number of activities was associated with time spent on homework.
Interestingly, most participants either said their
school gave the right amount (39%) or way too
much homework (36%). There were no differences by
gender, number of activities, or who chose activities.
About the same proportion of those who reported <1,
1, and 2 hours of homework thought their schools
gave too much homework (34%, 28%, and 30%),
while those who reported 3+ hours of homework
were much more likely (66%) to say they get way too
much homework.
The great majority of students wished they had a
lot more free time. Boys were more likely to wish
for more free time (66% vs. 54%) (Table 2). When
forced to select only 1 activity in which to engage if
they had more free time, nearly half (45%) said they
would hang out or play with friends. Another fourth
(26%) said sports or other physical activity. Thirteen
percent said their first choice would be family time, and
only 6% chose reading. Ten percent chose none of
these. Boys were more likely to say sports or physical

2011, American School Health Association

Table 2. Frequencies of Responses by Gender and Age for Items 1-4

Gender
Activities besides school:
None
One
Two
Three
Four or more
Who chooses activities?
My parents/guardians
We both choose
I choose most activities
How many hours of screen
time on most school days?,
Less than 1 hour
1 hour
2 hours
3 hours
3 or more hours
Hours of homework on school days:
Less than 1 hour
1 hour
2 hours
3 or more hours

Age

Total (%)

Boys (%)

Girls (%)

9 (%)

10 (%)

11 (%)

12+ (%)

14
25
22
15
24

14
26
23
13
24

15
23
21
17
24

11
34
22
9
24

15
24
24
13
24

13
21
21
18
27

25
19
17
15
24

9
29
62

10
28
62

6
31
63

14
33
53

8
29
63

7
27
66

3
28
69

20
15
16
7
42

15
14
14
7
50

23
17
19
6
35

21
19
16
9
35

23
17
16
6
38

21
12
18
7
42

9
11
15
3
62

59
23
10
8

59
22
11
8

58
23
10
9

64
21
7
8

56
26
11
7

61
21
11
7

53
25
12
10

2 tests statistically significant for age (p < .05); N = 882.

2 tests statistically significant for gender (p < .05).

activity (32% vs. 19%), whereas girls were more apt to

select time with friends (52% vs. 39%). Older students
were also more likely to name time with friends (9 =
37%, 10 = 43%, 11 = 49%, 12+ = 58%) (Table 3).
To statistically control for intercorrelation among
variables, odds ratios were calculated using multivariate logistic regression. The outcomes of interest were
activity-based stress and desire for more free time.
When analyzed together, the primary predictor for
desire for more free time was hours of screen time.
Those who reported 3 or more hours of screen time
per day were nearly 3 times more likely to desire more
free time than those who reported 2 or fewer hours of
screen time.
When analyzed with the effect of the other variables, participants who said they cooperate with their
parents in choosing activities were less likely to be
frequently stressed about all they do than those
who either chose their own activities or whose parents
chose most of their activities. Further, having more
activities, particularly 3 or more, doubled the likelihood that children will say they are stressed by all they
do. Excessive screen time also doubled the likelihood of
frequent stress. The single greatest predictor of activityrelated stress was the reported number of hours spent
on homework. Students who said they average about
2 hours of homework per night were nearly twice as
likely to report frequent activity-related stress. Those
who said they do 3 or more hours per night were
almost 5 times as likely to report this stress (Table 4).
Journal of School Health

DISCUSSION
Results of average screen time reported in this study
are consistent with existing literature. Other studies
have found that children spend an average range
of 13-30 hours per week watching television.15,16
Participants most often recorded that if they had more
free time they would most likely choose to spend it
hanging out with friends. Since the term hanging
out is likely to involve unstructured activities, this
finding supports research indicating that children and
adolescents prefer free play.9,10,13 And although a few
research studies warn that excessive unstructured play
with peers may lead to delinquency,8 spending more
time with others can build interpersonal skills and
foster the development of social health.12
Studies have also linked levels of child busyness
to levels of parents busyness, implying that the
busier parents are, the busier their children tend to
be. Quist posits that if parents are the ones who
are too busy, perhaps the children are registered in
a myriad of organized activities because Mom and
Dad dont have the time in their schedule to spend
with them10 (p. 27). Clearly interventions including
parents are necessary to promote the importance
of spending quality and quantity time with their
children. Quantity time does not have to be structured;
deliberate activities, such as doing chores around the
house, going for a walk, or sitting outside together,
can offer many teaching moments. For quantity time to

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2011, American School Health Association 577

Table 3. Frequencies of Responses by Gender and Age for Items 5-8

Gender
Do you think school gives you:
Somewhat or way too little homework
About right amount of homework
Somewhat too much homework
Way too much homework
Which matches your feelings:
Wish had a little or a lot less free time
Feel have the right amount of free time
Wish had a little more free time
Wish had a lot more free time
How often do you feel stressed?
Never
Once in a while
Some of the time
Most of the time
Always
What would you do with more time?,
Play sports/physical activity
Spend time with family
Read
Hang out/play with friends
None of these

Age

Total (%)

Boys (%)

Girls (%)

9 (%)

10 (%)

11 (%)

12+ (%)

11
39
14
36

11
36
13
40

10
44
15
31

11
40
10
39

9
43
13
35

15
43
13
29

8
24
24
44

4
18
17
61

3
16
15
66

4
22
20
54

4
22
13
61

3
17
20
60

4
18
17
61

2
14
17
67

10
26
23
17
24

11
24
23
16
26

7
29
24
18
22

10
33
18
17
22

11
27
23
15
24

10
25
23
18
24

5
17
29
23
26

26
13
6
45
10

32
12
5
39
12

19
15
6
52
8

29
12
11
37
11

28
16
4
43
9

23
15
4
49
9

24
5
4
58

2 tests statistically significant for age (p < .05); N = 882.

2 tests statistically significant for gender (p < .05).

occur, parents and children alike need to unschedule

themselves5 (p. 27).
Future studies should explore childrens perceptions
of their parents busyness. Recent polling data17,18
have shown that many parents (especially middleclass parents) have become increasingly aware and
concerned about these trends, yet feel powerless to
make changes and stem the tide. A Search Institute
poll found that 41% of parents said their child
being overscheduled in so many activities made
parenting difficult19 (p. 9). School and community
officials can also add to the problem of overscheduled
children by promoting numerous extracurricular
activities to children without considering the possible
consequences these activities may have on the family
unit.
New initiatives, such as Family Time First and Family Time IN, community action initiatives developed
by Doherty20 and colleagues with Eden Prairie and
Southeast Minnesota community members, respectively, have been developed to teach families how to
increase and prioritize family time. These communityorganizing approaches, though relatively new, expect
to strengthen the family by trying to prevent family
overscheduling and hyperactivity.20
Family mealtime has also been receiving more focus
as a research topic. Controlling for variables such as
income, family structure, and social class, frequency of
family mealtime is positively associated with childhood
well-being.21,22 Unfortunately there has been a decline
in the proportion of married-couple households who
578

eat dinner together.23 One study showed a decrease

from 50% in 1977 to 34% in 1999.7 Family structure
and age of children also influence family mealtime. For
instance, families where mothers are employed16 and
families whose children are older23 spend less time eating as a family. Investigating how societal family time
trends are filtered through cultural influences may
also deserve further exploration. For example, White
families spend less time eating together than Black and
Hispanic families, who in turn eat together less than
Asian families.22 All of these researches suggest that
the decline in family mealtime due to busier schedules of children and parents may have implications for
children and parents alike.
These societal changes also show up in other parentchild time interactions. For instance, children in male
breadwinner-female homemaker families read more
than children in any other types of families. The
researchers concluded that the differences were largely
predicted by the amount of time the parent had
available.7 Interestingly, the study found no significant
association between homework during the elementary grades and academic achievement, meaning the
amount of homework given by elementary school
teachers predicts nothing in terms of childrens academic achievement. However, there was a significant
association with the amount of time spent reading
outside the classroom. All these perhaps suggest that
educators and parents should work together to ensure
that more homework time is devoted to reading at
home.

Journal of School Health September 2011, Vol. 81, No. 9 2011, American School Health Association

Table 4. Odds Ratio (OR) (With 95% CI) for Wish for More Free
Time and Stressed Always or Most of the Time Because
of Too Much to Do

Gender
Girls
Boys
Age (years)
9
10
11
12+
Who chooses activities?
Child
50/50
Parent
Number of activities
0
1
2
3
4 or more
Hours of homework
<1
1
2
3 or more
Hours of screen time
<1
1
2
3 or more

Wish for More

Free Time
OR (CI)

Stressed Always or
Most of the Time
OR (CI)

1.0
1.3 (0.88-1.94)

1.0
1.1 (0.77-1.54)

1.0
1.4 (0.82-2.30)
1.1 (0.68-1.91)
1.5 (0.74-3.01)

1.0
1.1 (0.72-1.79)
1.1 (0.70-1.80)
1.2 (0.66-2.08)

1.0
0.8 (0.53-1.27)
1.1 (0.52-2.36)

1.0
0.6 (0.40-0.90)
1.5 (0.78-2.78)

1.0
1.0 (0.50-2.03)
1.0 (0.51-2.12)
1.7 (0.77-3.90)
1.4 (0.68-2.90)

1.0
1.2 (0.59-2.28)
1.4 (0.73-2.82)
2.1 (1.01-4.23)
2.2 (1.13-4.29)

1.0
1.3 (0.81-2.13)
2.3 (1.07-4.99)
1.1 (0.54-2.34)

1.0
0.9 (0.57-1.32)
1.7 (1.00-3.01)
4.7 (2.41-9.31)

1.0
1.1 (0.59-1.89)
1.7 (0.94-3.06)
2.7 (1.63-4.53)

1.0
1.8 (1.02-3.20)
0.9 (0.48-1.57)
1.9 (1.17-3.01)

CI, confidence interval.

p < .05.
OR N = 882.

In this study, the relationship between perceived

level of stress and the desire for more free time was
bimodal. More specific studies on the relationship
between hours of screen time and perceived level of
stress could test whether our findings were anomalies
or in fact peculiar phenomenon deserving of further
investigation.
Limitations
This study did not look at family dynamics; doing
so may provide additional insight into the issue of
childrens perceived busyness levels. Variables such
as culture, head of household, parental employment,
and parental education levels may also allow a deeper,
more thorough understanding of childrens lives.4
Although this study used non-random sampling,
sample demographics parallel those from the National
Center for Educational Statistics (NCES).24 NCES is
the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing
data related to education in the U.S. and other
nations.24
Journal of School Health

IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOLS

School health educators must be sensitive to
and aware of students commitments outside of the
classroom. Teachers must appreciate the many hats
children must wear on a regular basis. For example, a
10-year-old girl who is a full-time student, takes dance
classes 3 days a week, is involved in Girl Scouts, sings
in a church choir, and is involved in intramural sports,
may not perform as consistently on standardized tests
due to external variables that may affect her day-today health. Further, middle and high school teachers
must be sensitive to the fact that their students are
juggling 6 to 7 academic subjects. And because most
teachers do not coordinate their assignments, students
may have little homework some weeks and hours
a night other weeks. This homework pattern is on
top of the normal challenges puberty brings. Many
high school students are also busy with part-time jobs,
sports teams, and romantic relationships.
School health instruction should promote the development of skills specific to decisionmaking, goal setting, and time management. Health education teachers
can address these skills through instructional activities
and assessment products based on decision-making
inventories, responses to decision-making scenarios,
and goal setting and time management scenarios.
Schools, parents, and other stakeholders can work
together to develop policies related to the amount of
time spent on homework and other extracurricular
school activities. Such initiatives could meet NHES
addressed in this study. Schools and their respective
communities can impact health practices and behaviors by affecting childrens perceptions of the amount
of time spent on homework regularly, and influencing
how environment impacts students personal health
(Standards 2.8.4 and 1.8.3, respectively).14
Existing literature related to busyness among both
children and their parents indicates the importance
of parent and family involvement in school health
education. Birch25 has identified involvement in decisionmaking, health education programs designed for
parents and family members, and at-home learning
activities as 3 types of parent and family involvement.
In addition, parents and other family members could
be involved in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of after-school programs. These programs could
serve as another forum for addressing youth busyness
and other stressors related to hectic lifestyles. It is
important to note that research suggests that participation in after-school programs is associated with higher
test scores and academic achievement, especially for
low-income children.26,27
In addition to the above-mentioned skills, children
and parents may benefit from instruction in stress
management and coping. Acquisition of these skills,
through lessons on stress appraisal and social support,

September 2011, Vol. 81, No. 9

2011, American School Health Association 579

for example, may allow students to analyze outcomes

of health-related decisions (NHES, 5.8.7).14
Human Subjects Approval Statement
This study was approved by the institutional review
board at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

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September 2011, Vol. 81, No. 9 2011, American School Health Association