Time management is the ability to estimate how much time you have and how much time it takes to complete a task. It sounds simple, but many adults are poor time managers. So it’s hardly surprising that our children find it challenging, too.
Managing time helps create peace and order, which is gentler on the nervous system than rushing. Since the world operates on a 24-hour clock system, it’s helpful for our children to be introduced to the idea early on.
How do we go about teaching time management to our young ones? Below are some ideas.
Explain to your children the importance of good timekeeping. Take small, simple steps and use concepts your children can relate to. For example, you can say, “If you play for one hour, you will have 20 minutes to read before dinner time.”
Ask your children what is important to them, and also what they know they need to do. This can be very revealing, and it can also be advantageous to an adult. Keep reading to see why!
Without overscheduling or controlling, allow your children to write down their list of the things they want to and need to do. It could be in the form of a monthly calendar or a daily list. Get creative with them! Color code it, or use post-its, a special notebook or magnets on the fridge. Allow them plenty of self-expression.
Show your children how long a certain task will take by demonstrating with a clock or watch. The passage of time can be a vague and abstract concept for children, so this is a great exercise. In the process, you can help them read an analog clock, and their teacher will be thrilled they can tell the time!
Teaching your children about time management can be beneficial for you as the adult. You can say, “After cleaning your room for fifteen minutes and reading for twenty minutes, you can go to the beach or park, or you can have ten minutes of screen time.” Once your children understand time and its importance, they might be more willing to do jobs that they normally think of as unpleasant.
Staying on task, monitoring their time, and deciding how their day or week will look, is fun, empowering and educational for children. Both the parent and the child win. So what’s not to like about time management?
