Is your child a little too busy these days? Do they have enough time to, at least sometimes, just BE a kid?

Health experts warn that some children suffer from something called "hurried child syndrome." It means just what you think and those experts say it might be time to "slow down."

A lot of us adults are stressed. we feel pressured to get a lot done on a very structured timeline. but what happens when we force our kids to do the same thing?
if it feels like your child always has something going on after school, whether it's sports or other activities, it may be time to scale back their schedule.

Dr. Kate Eshleman with the Cleveland Clinic, says when a child is too busy, they're at risk for something called 'hurried child syndrome.'

"Our children are involved in so many activities that we are being hurried all throughout the day to get from one thing to the
next. And that's kind of in the broader concept of really hurrying our children to develop more quickly than is really appropriate for their age," said Dr. Eshelman.

The child psychologist says when a child is constantly on the go, they may start to feel stressed, anxious or even exhausted.
Being that active requires a lot of focus from a child which can really wear them down.

It can also impact their home life since they don't have the time to sit down for things like family dinners or take part in unstructured play.

Unstructured play is an important part of development because it allows them to use their imagination and develop skills independently. That includes playing by themselves or with friends, inside or outside.

So, what are some of the signs that your child is "hurried" or maybe has too many structured activities?

"Maybe the child is withdrawing a little bit more or they are just not coping well in general. We see a lot of self-isolation or completely not making any attempts to put any effort in. Difficulty concentrating or focusing could also be a big one," said Dr. Kelsey Brocker, a pediatric psychologist with Akron Children's in Boardman.

"If a kid is staying up late because they've been at practice and they need to shower and then they need to do their homework, and they're not getting enough sleep, then that could impact mood, concentration, interactions. So just because those things can happen doesn't mean that they will," added Dr. Eshelman.

Getting sufficient rest is important at night. And if your child says being on their phone and on social media relaxes them, doctors say it doesn't

"There are so many kids that come in who say I just scroll on Tic Tok and it just helps me fall to sleep. We have like this odd mindset that this is relaxing and helps calm me down but it actually has the adverse effect it kind of keeps you hooked in there," said Dr. Brocker.

What can parents do to prevent hurried child syndrome?

Experts recommend talking to your child about their schedule and figuring out what activities are most important to them and making sure that fits with your family's time and finances.

-Doctors from the Cleveland Clinic and Akron Children's in Boardman contributed to this story.