by Christine G.

Created on: January 11, 2009

Time management is one of the most important skills you will ever teach your children. They will be able to use it to optimize their school work, their jobs, and their personal relationships. Sound planning will help them stay in control of their schedules, and increase the amount of discretionary time. Instead of a life that is a roller-coaster of alternating procrastination and crises, they will learn to set boundaries for themselves and others, and balance their responsibilities and recreational times.

The first rule of teaching is to model the behavior that you want to see. If you have trouble with time management yourself, all the yelling, pleading, or shaming in the world will not get the results you want. Despite your best efforts, your children will grow up to be a great deal like you. If you need to improve your time management, focus on that first, and then gradually involve your family, so you can encourage each other.

Time management skills have to be taught. Start by devising an age-appropriate chart outlining the activities for each day, including chores and other responsibilities. Encourage everyone to refer to the chart, and plan ahead. In time, children should be able to do their own planning on a calendar in their room, while the events which affect the whole family are listed where everyone can see them.

Provide clear deadlines, and meaningful consequences. If toys are not put away before bedtime, confiscate them for an appropriate period of time. Except in very unusual circumstances, homework and chores will take precedence over TV or play. For younger children, break larger projects into manageable units, and set intermediate deadlines. If possible, do this planning with the child. The more input the child has into rules, the more likely s/he is to comply.

Instead of getting involved in a battle of wills, provide a structure which will allow your children to experience the consequence of their actions. Instead of yelling, "Will you hurry up! You're going to be LATE AGAIN!" inform your child well ahead of time, "If you miss the bus, you will have to pay me to drive you to school, and you will have to go to bed an hour early so you can get up in time." Tailor the severity of the consequences to the personality of the child and the seriousness of the problem. Be consistent. Think about all the implications of the consequences before you set them, and stick to them for a predetermined length of time. If something isn't getting you the results you

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