Watch the full podcast episode here:
Are We Over-Scheduling Our Kids?
A Complete Summary of the Modern Indian Parent Podcast Episode on Baby & Toddler Classes
(With Child Nutritionist Sanchita Daswani & Pediatric Sleep Consultant Rinie Gupta)
If you don’t have 40 minutes to listen, here’s everything that was discussed in detail, no fluff, no bullet symbols, just honest conversation turned into an easy read (approximately 1000 words).
The Pressure Starts at Six Months – But Is It Necessary?
As soon as a baby hits six months, the flood of classes begins: sensory play, messy craft, music, baby gym, swimming, the list is endless. Both hosts felt this pressure. Sanchita wishes she had started a movement-based class like My Gym at six months because in high-rise cities (Hong Kong, Singapore, Mumbai) babies simply don’t get enough floor space or safe outdoor time to practise crawling, cruising and walking. Rinie, on the other hand, tried a messy-play craft class at eight months, travelled 45 minutes each way, paid the equivalent of 30 dollars per session and after five classes realised she could recreate everything at home for free. She dropped out and never looked back.
First Child vs Second Child Reality Check
Every parent of two or more children says the exact same thing: with the first child we overdid everything and signed them up for every possible class at the youngest possible age. With the second child we barely did anything until four or five years and saw absolutely no difference in development. This came up repeatedly in the conversation as proof that early enrichment is largely parent-driven rather than child-needed.
Sleep and Meals Are Non-Negotiable
This was the strongest united stance. No class is worth compromising naps, meals or bedtime. Rinie shared a client story of a 14-month-old whose schedule was packed with classes, including one that fell right in the middle of morning nap time. She advised the mother to drop several classes immediately because an overtired, hungry child gains nothing from any structured activity.
Free Play Beats Structured Classes Almost Every Time
Both moms repeatedly emphasised free play over scheduled classes, especially before age five or six. They referenced a UNICEF report that strongly recommends emphasising free play until at least age six for optimal motor and brain development. Another 2024 study was mentioned showing that children only start displaying genuine curiosity about peers and real social interest around four to five years of age. Until then, parallel play (doing their own thing next to others) is perfectly normal and healthy. Ninety minutes of daily outdoor play was highlighted as more beneficial for brain development than any indoor structured class.
Your Child’s Temperament Changes Everything
One of the most valuable parts of the discussion was about temperament. There are three broad categories: easy-going children who adapt quickly, slow-to-warm children who need weeks or months to feel comfortable, and highly sensitive children who can shut down completely in overstimulating group settings. Rinie shared how her daughter took forever to trust a swim coach but learned to swim confidently once her parents took over the lessons on lazy Sunday mornings because the child inherently trusts mom and dad.
Life Skills Like Swimming – Force Early or Wait?
Sanchita tried formal swimming lessons with her twins and they hated it. This summer she simply let them splash with floats in the pool. One day her son removed the floats himself and started swimming. The conclusion: expose children to life skills, give them a fair few sessions, but if there are tears every week it is perfectly fine to pause and retry later when they actually enjoy it.
Rujuta Diwekar’s Simple Guideline for Ages 5 and Above
Sanchita loves celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar’s practical formula for children above five: one activity that works on balance and movement (cycling, skating, gymnastics, dance, any sport), one classical art form (instrument or classical dance because music is therapeutic), and at least ninety minutes of daily active free play which can include household chores like carrying plates, making the bed or climbing stairs. The goal is simply to keep children moving in a sedentary world.
Online Classes – The Surprisingly Honest Verdict
Sanchita eventually started online math and Chinese classes for her seven-year-old twins (India-based tutors, much cheaper than physical centres). The results were impressive: her daughter now confidently counts money and both children suddenly speak Mandarin sentences after years of nothing. However, there is a clear downside: on online-class days they move far less, are less tired and take longer to fall asleep compared to days with dance or tennis. Her solution is no television on online-class days and extra rough-and-tumble play before bed.
Over-Scheduled Kids and the Loss of Imagination
A big concern raised was children who have a class every single day and then stare blankly on a free Saturday because they never learned how to entertain themselves. They can follow Lego instructions perfectly but freeze when given open-ended magnet tiles because no one is telling them what to make. Reducing classes dramatically gave Sanchita’s children back the ability to read for two hours straight or create elaborate doll stories.
When to Push and When to Let Go
Both moms agree: expose children properly (at least a couple of months of consistent sessions) so they truly understand the activity, but once they say they are done, trust them. Children need to be happy walking into an activity. Forcing excellence rarely works at this age.
Final Message – Drop the Mom Guilt
The episode ended on a beautiful note. Rinie pointed out that we never say “hands-on mom” the way we say “hands-on dad” because being hands-on is the default setting of motherhood, like saying wet water. Outsourcing something you cannot teach yourself (Chinese, advanced math, ballet technique) is not selfish, it is smart parenting. Both hosts reminded every listener that there is no single right answer, but focusing on sleep, meals, free movement and joy will always beat an over-packed schedule.
In short: under two years keep it minimal and movement-focused if needed, two to four years let preschool and free play do the heavy lifting, four or five years onward explore genuine interests with one balance activity, one classical art and ninety minutes of daily active play. And most importantly, trust yourself, you are doing better than you think.