I often hear parents bemoaning the "new childhood" - which sees children organised every minute of the day, and never giving them the freedom to run out the door and play with other children. But should we really be worried?

New research published in the journal Child Development finds that 10-year-olds who enjoy hobbies, sports and other organised activities outside school hours are more likely to succeed academically and socially.

Most at risk of behaviour and mental-health problems are the children who spend their off-school hours just "hanging out" with friends and playing outside.

Children who spend their after-school time with their heads buried in books perform better on exams, but they are also more likely to be depressed and isolated.

It's hard to know, however, whether the benefits of extra-curricular activities are in the activities themselves, or in the fact that parents who get their children involved in such things are taking a more active interest in their children.

It takes a lot of commitment to discover the activities that are best for your children, to run the parent-taxi, to set up a schedule and - most of all - to participate with children in enriching experiences.

At least half of families have two parents working outside the home, so we really need schools to step in and offer more than just academics and for more hours in the day. In schools where this happens, parents and teachers show great commitment.

Volunteering in activities like Scouts and Girl Guides is becoming rare because many parents haven't got the time. We should appreciate and support such activities more than we do.