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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
For most public schools, Columbus Day means a day off. But for Melissa Driscoll and her two daughters, there is no rest for the weary.
Well, we're two Brownie troops, so we're gonna, err1, go to Agnes Farm and pick some vegetables and fruits and it's part of our activity for earning our Try-it Badge.
But today's report says it's parents who should try lightening the load when it comes to overscheduling.
Children now have, are engaged in a lot of enrichment activities, you know, extracurricular activities, sports activities----we think that's great, we just want balance.
Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg is a pediatrician and co-author of the 32-page report which says free and unstructured play is essential for the physical, social and emotional well-being2 of children.
We've had to understand that play or even in school, for example recess3, allows kids to reboot and as they reboot, they're gonna absorb all of the rest of life's lessons more effectively.
Dr. Ginsburg also says all work and no play could not only make Jack4 dull, it could make him depressed5.
We're taking care of a lot of kids who are showing the manifestations6 of stress, you know the bellyaches, the fatigue7, they're not sleeping well enough. You know by the time they get to college, there seem to be increasing levels of anxiety and depression.
But many parents fear slowing the pace means not keeping up with the Joneses or the Joneses' kids.
So what do you guys wanna do today? Would you rather...
That hasn't kept the Brown family from Fort Worth, Texas, from keeping two days a week free, just for fun.
My son looked at me and said, Mom, I just want some me time. And I said, OK.
It was too much...
And the parents we spoke8 with knew all too well about the perils9 of overscheduling.
So I'm just curious, do you get the sense that kids today are over-scheduled?
Absolutely, we actually had to make a conscious decision to unschedule them, and to make more family time. Because we realize we're raising kids we didn't even see.
My wife and I both teach, so we try to really under-program as opposed to over-program.
Really, why?
Just so kids have a chance to grow up to be kids.
So if you're in a quandary10 about how much is too much, you may wanna go directly to the source.
Would you rather be going to the farm or just hanging at home?
Hanging at home.
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extracurricular:extracurricular activities are things that you do at school or college that are not part of your program of study 课外的
bellyache:informal a pain in your stomach 腹痛
1 err | |
vi.犯错误,出差错 | |
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2 well-being | |
n.安康,安乐,幸福 | |
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3 recess | |
n.短期休息,壁凹(墙上装架子,柜子等凹处) | |
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4 jack | |
n.插座,千斤顶,男人;v.抬起,提醒,扛举;n.(Jake)杰克 | |
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5 depressed | |
adj.沮丧的,抑郁的,不景气的,萧条的 | |
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6 manifestations | |
n.表示,显示(manifestation的复数形式) | |
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7 fatigue | |
n.疲劳,劳累 | |
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8 spoke | |
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说 | |
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9 perils | |
极大危险( peril的名词复数 ); 危险的事(或环境) | |
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10 quandary | |
n.困惑,进迟两难之境 | |
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