The moment we let time slip away from us, disasters strike — missed deadlines, forgotten anniversaries, abandoned family time. Time management is essential for busy working adults, but if you think your children are a little too young to worry about it, think again. Time management is essentially about discipline and good habits, and that takes practice. Why not start young?
Here are three essential skills to go over with your child.
1. Setting priorities
There are always a hundred things competing for our attention. Drawing a clear line between what’s essential and what’s not is the first step to managing your time wisely. Teach your child to divide tasks and appointments into three categories: urgent, important and not important.
2. Scheduling
Once your kids have their priorities straight, it’s time for them to have a go at planning their day. Let them try mapping out a schedule for, say, an entire Saturday, by assigning time slots to homework, sports, enrichment classes and family time. Go over it with them afterwards and discuss whether their allotments are realistic.
3. Ban procrastination
Often, procrastination is a symptom of something deeper — like feelings of boredom or inadequacy. When you notice your children procrastinating, it’s a good opportunity to sit down and have a discussion with them. Once the root cause is sniffed out, it becomes easier to work efficiently and effectively.
The best way to teach your child time management is to practice what you preach. The above tips will be just as useful for you as your kids!