An expert has warned parents of the potential risk of burnout in children from taking part in too many after-school activities.

The new school year is well underway, and thousands of families are now back in the routine of school drop-offs, sports training and music lessons.

But between education and extracurricular activities - are some children being spread too thin?

Psychotherapist and author Stella O'Malley told Newstalk Breakfast parents should be mindful of just how much activity their children get.

"All too much"

"When they get really cranky and touchy, it's worth looking at the child's actual life and think: might they be over-scheduled? Because there's a hell of a lot of offers of activity", Ms O'Malley said.

"You can spiral when you're exhausted - and you don't know it's the exhaustion. You just think everything is terrible."

She encourages parents to "pull back a bit" and to not feel the need to send their children to every activity.

Burnout versus laziness

Ms O'Malley said there is "quite a significant difference" between burnout and laziness.

"Genuine burnout is kind of a shutdown."

"But when a child is just overtired ... that is something you could see in their face in their in their physical disposition."

Laziness, according to Ms O'Malley, is linked to a lack of motivation.

"I think it's more interesting to figure out why are they lazy. Why are they unmotivated? Why are they disengaged?"

Ms O'Malley also warned of screen time and the instant gratification a constant stream of entertainment provides.

Listen back to the full conversation here.

Main image shows a child bored at a piano. Picture by: Aliaksei Lasevich/Alamy