Time management is an organisational concept traditionally associated
with adults and the workplace. The experts tell us that more efficient
use of time means greater productivity. So organisations encourage
individuals to prioritise, plan ahead and make the most of the time that
they have at work.
It is important that working parents are good managers of time so they
can meet the demands of children and partners, keep a boss happy or a
business afloat while maintaining some personal time. Sound planning
helps us to lead a balanced life because it increases the use of
discretionary time at our disposal.
Time management is not just for adults. Kids also benefit by putting
some basic management techniques into practice.
In the early years of school you can help kids to become organised by
displaying in a simple chart which outlines special activities for each
day. Encourage children to refer to the chart each morning and plan
ahead. For instance, if Tuesday is library day they can pack their
borrowing bag and any books to be returned.
As children learn basic time concepts such as weeks and months give them
a calendar to place on their bedroom wall. They can cross off the days
or countdown until special events such as birthdays or the end of term.
They can also use a calendar to plan each day including their after
school activities.
As children progress to the upper end of primary school more complex
management and planning skills are needed, particularly to deal with
homework. In fact, many Year Six teachers include some time management
in their programs as they know that children with good organisational
skills are more likely to cope with secondary school where they have
multiple teachers who all set homework.
Parents can help upper primary and secondary students better manage
their time in the following ways:
* Provide your child with a student diary. You may convert an old
exercise book into a diary or buy one designed for young students.
Encourage children to place important events such as after school
activities and daily homework in their diaries. My eleven year old son
sits with my wife and I each Sunday night as we compare our diaries for
the coming week.
* Teach your child to break complex homework tasks such as projects into
smaller jobs and then plan out the work. If a project is due in two
weeks, work out what needs to be done and work backwards from the due
date.
* Encourage children to measure the time they spend on homework and
encourage them to work efficiently and quickly. It is a common for
students to think they have spent hours doing homework when really they
have frittered much of their time away sharpening pencils, arranging
books or playing games on the computer. Sometimes establishing a set
time such as thirty minutes is an effective way of encouraging kids to
work quickly.
* Help children to prioritise their work if they are busy. When teaching
Year Six I used to encourage children to categorise their homework as
either Important, Urgent or Both. Important meant that the task needed
considerable attention to detail or research before it could be
completed, while Urgent meant that it was due soon, usually the next
day. If a student gave work a category B for both then it was panic
stations as they had a great deal of work to do in a short time. The
point of this exercise was to help students get on top of their work
rather than leave it until the last possible moment.
A valuable time management technique for adults and children is to
establish a work routine that suits individual physical requirements as
well as schedules. My son is a night owl who can work really
productively after dark whereas I have a daughter who tends to crash
when the sun goes down. Both children have different homework routines
that reflect their physiological differences.
Time management for children is primarily about self management. I am
not suggesting that children abandon their wonderful sense of
spontaneity and slavishly regulate their days, however some basic
planning strategies can help them deal with their load.
Michael Grose is The Parent Coach. For seventeen years he has been
helping parents deal with the rigours of raising kids and survive!! For
information about Michael's Parent Coaching programs or just some fine
advice and ideas to help you raise confident kids and resilient
teenagers visit
http://www.parentingideas.com.au
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