Parents have a profound effect on how children's time is spent. How out-of-school time is used, managed, and valued is critical. How many activities are too many, and how to determine your child's interests are discussed. (MT)

The central theme of this book is that parents should be directly involved in structuring their children's out-of-school time. Out-of-school or "free time" offers great opportunities for children to learn from new experiences and to develop, through carefully selected activities, a sense of competence, self-esteem, and achievement. Focus…