Every week, we hear heartbreaking stories: a 17-year-old collapses with a heart attack, a student slips into drugs, or a topper ends his life. Recently, a NEET qualifier wrote before dying: “I don’t want to become doctor.” Just six words, yet they reflect the suffocation so many young people silently carry.

I recall a girl from a doctor’s family who was never allowed to watch movies after Class 4. Her parents thought this was discipline. But when the real exam years came, she was so disoriented and pressurized that she couldn’t even clear her entrance. Too much pressure, no pause — the result was the opposite of what her parents hoped.

This is not one-off. Every parent I meet as a Life Coach shares the same anxiety: “If my child does not keep running, they will fall behind.” But what if, in this very running, they lose their health, their spark, their love for life itself?

Children rarely come and say, “I am stressed.” Instead, stress shows up differently: a child who was once bubbly becomes snappy, another who ate well suddenly loses appetite, one who loved cricket no longer wants to play. These are whispers of an over-scheduled life.

The danger of no downtime is real. Over-scheduled children often grow into adults who don’t know how to switch off. We are already seeing this in young professionals collapsing with heart attacks in their 20s, or feeling empty despite high salaries. When rest is never learnt, burnout becomes the default.

In our own home, there was one simple rule: nobody could say “I’m bored.” That word was banned. Instead, the mindset was: “Let me enjoy and relax right now.”

Relaxing could mean dancing, reading comics, painting, or simply sitting quietly. Boredom wasn’t emptiness — it was an opening for creativity. And over the years, I saw how this shaped resilience. The children learnt to befriend downtime, not fear it.

One parent told me about her son who was in four tuitions, football practice, and robotics class — all before Class 7. By the time he came home, he would cry while doing homework. “He just needs to push a little more,” she thought. One day, he locked himself in his room and refused to come out. It wasn’t laziness; it was exhaustion.

Another teenager I worked with would score 95% and still not feel good enough because she compared herself with a cousin who scored 97%. The pressure wasn’t just from outside; it was also inside her. Children absorb expectations like sponges.

And then there was a story in the news: a 16-year-old girl who fainted during a school assembly because she had stayed awake till 3 am preparing for an Olympiad. Her words after regaining consciousness were chilling: “I don’t remember the last time I just played.”

•Too much pressure, no pause — and the result is the opposite of what parents hope.

•Boredom isn’t emptiness — it’s an opening for creativity.

•Pausing is not wasting time. It’s a life skill.

(I suggest this as a small highlighted box in the newspaper)

•Irritability or frequent crying that seems “out of proportion.”

•Complaints of headache, stomach ache, or constant tiredness.

•Sleepless nights, restlessness, or waking up still exhausted.

•Suddenly losing interest in friends or activities they once enjoyed.

•Eating too little — or too much — without explanation.

•Trying very hard but still performing poorly in studies or sports.

If you notice two or more of these together, pause and reflect. It may not be “just a phase” — it may be stress asking for attention.

Ask yourself:

1.Does my child look more exhausted than me at the end of the day?

2.Am I giving my child space for “doing nothing” without guilt?

3.When was the last time we laughed or relaxed together as a family?

4.Am I modeling balance — or only busyness — for my child?

5.Are we raising achievers — or burnouts?

As parents, our job is not only to prepare our children for success, but also to prepare them for life. Success without balance is fragile. A pause is not a luxury; it is oxygen for the mind and heart. If we teach our children the art of resting, we are not slowing them down — we are preparing them to run farther, stronger, and with joy.