“Busy” is not the best strategy for children.

I know many parents who have embraced the idea that keeping their children busy is the best way to keep them out of trouble. I know adults who were raised this way and I have seen this play out with peers who are now parents. They had/have an intense roster of hourly commitments from the time they leave school to the time that they sit down at the dinner table.

This idea of busyness as an antidote to danger and failure has certain merits. A highly scheduled and committed child will, indeed, have few opportunities to go outside of those boundaries to engage in activities that the parent does not approve of. The problem is that keeping a child busy is merely a form of distraction. It also teaches a child that being busy rather than effective is what is valuable in life.

I would argue that “busy” is not the best strategy. What is more effective both short and long term is to help a child find their purpose.

Parents who keep their children busy are doing so with excellent intentions. They want to protect their children and keep them on a path that is beneficial for their well-being. The problem is that the children themselves are not invested. If an attractive but detrimental opportunity comes along and engages them, they have no foundational reason not to see what it’s about. A child with purpose, on the other hand, has a reason. The solution is a child with purpose. They have an aim larger than what is enticing at that moment.

Purpose is a form of maturity and value-setting that is the most powerful form of protection. A child with purpose has aim. A child with aim is what I call ‘Hitz’. They aren’t staying out of trouble simply because they’re told to do so, but because they want to avoid anything that could derail their purpose. As a child grows into an adult, this framework will continue to serve them. Adults who value busyness do a lot without getting much done. Adults who value purpose move with intention and have a greater impact on themselves and the world around them as a result. Purpose is the main contributing factor to the biggest contributors in life.