Remember the days when kids used to simply play for hours at a time? It seemed like I was always interrupting a pick-up hockey game when driving down the street! Now, neighborhoods are all quiet. Why? The kids are all too busy to play! 

Today, prescribed activity seems to be the norm for kids. We schedule them to death. Piano, ballet, and sports can begin to cultivate disciplines, but how often can your child stray from the prescribed and move into the creative or impromptu? Does your child have time to truly rest? 

To me, the old adage “an idle mind is the devil’s playground” just doesn’t hold up. God tells us to be still, to rest. In fact, He managed to carve out an entire day of rest while creating the universe! There is immense value in allowing your family the opportunity to take one thing off the calendar in order to enjoy life more fully. Say ‘no’ to overscheduling and ‘yes’ to quality time. 

Listen to the Raising Godly Girls Minute with Patti Garibay: