What is Time Management?
Time management is an important skill that allows us to maximize our productivity in a limited amount of time. Time management skills include estimating the length of time it takes to complete a task, complete things on time, and waste no time. These are important skills for children to develop so that they develop healthy habits that will become essential to their success later on in life. Time is a tricky concept – even for adults! Many adults still struggle with time management. It is important to teach your children about the concept from a young age so they understand its value as their lives get busier.
If your child has difficulties with getting homework, chores and other activities done while allowing for enough time for play and relaxation, they may need help improving their time management skills. Children need to understand that there is a limited amount of time in a day, and that schedules and routines are essential to maintaining productivity. Enlightening our children about the power of time management is key in setting them up for success later on in life. Below are some of my top three time to improving your own child’s time management skills to help them establish balanced and successful days!
Sophie’s Top 3 Tips:
1. Establish and Enforce Routines: We must practice self discipline and self control in order to refine our time management skills. In order to do so, it is key to make your children aware of a daily routine, but even more important to stick to it! For example, maintaining a regular sleep schedule is essential to productivity. Children typically need 10-11 hours of sleep a day. If they do not get the proper amount of rest, they will not function to their fullest potential the next day. Establish a reasonable wake-up time, and bedtime for your children, and practice it every day and night until it becomes a habit! Keeping routines such as this is the best thing you can do to mitigate unneeded stress during the week. Establish the times when your child will do something, as well as how long it should take. For example, communicate to your child through a calendar, or a checklist what to do and when to have it done by. For example, some things to incorporate into a daily routine may include: getting up, getting dressed, mealtimes, when to leave the house for school, when to do their homework, nap times, and when they can play. Don’t forget – before your child can play or watch TV, they should have done their homework!
2. Prioritize Activities: On average, humans have twelve hours a day to utilize before we get tired and become less productive. We have the freedom to choose how we will best spend our time by getting done what we need to while still leaving enough time for some fun and relaxation. It is important to prioritize our day to best utilize our time. One idea to accomplish this is to make a list of everything you need to get done during the day, and another of everything you would like to get done during the day. Schedule your day so that you allow time to complete everything you need to get done, while still allowing for some time to complete things you would like to get done. You may find this tip useful in your own life – not just for your child! Children often mimic the behaviors of their parents. If you practice this routine of prioritizing the day, your child will follow suit!
3. Never Over-Schedule: Keep in mind that younger children are much less proficient at completing tasks than adults and older kids. As adults, we typically have much more responsibility than our children and can start and finish a task in a reasonable amount of time. On the other hand, children are slower to complete a task because their motor and cognitive development skills are not fully developed. Children get distracted easily. With this being said, it is important to never over schedule your child. With too many daily responsibilities on their plates, they will not be able to successfully develop time management skills. Ensure that their daily tasks are clear and minimal. Incorporate plenty of down time for children to reflect, play, express creativity, and rest. This personal down time is essential for their own growth and development. Instead of over loading your child with activities and tasks, focus on assigning one to two chores, a homework assignment, and enough downtime/playtime to maintain a balanced day that your child can handle. Figure out the most important things for your child to do and stick to these activities without over loading them.
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