When you are a kid, you think you have all the time in the world. Weekends are spent gloriously kicking back, watching TV, and just chilling- hardly taking note of the fleeting moments as they quickly pass. Time management is a foreign term, making little if any sense to a child that doesn't really understand this concept at all. So how can we teach them?

If we set time limits, that are us simply, well, doing the time management for them. Teaching children how to manage time is also teaching them responsibility.

In my opinion, the best approach is to try to get them to compile a list of what they must do and what they would like to accomplish. For instance a child needs to get a homework assignment done, but they may want to (or actually YOU might want them to) clean their closet. OK , be real here- they aren't going to EVER want to clean their closets- but this is where the parent designates tasks that they would like their child to complete.

How much time will the task take? And what is it worth and how much time?

Homework needs to be done- it takes an hour

The reward is an hour TV or computer.

It's simple in retrospect, They are balancing the necessary and perhaps boring or dreaded tasks with a pleasant reward.

It takes time for this to work, so be patient and don't try to get it all done in one day. Start with simple tasks where the time can be easily judged. And make sure they know it's a best guess- if they get done early, great. If it takes longer, no problem. Always have them try to overestimate time- that makes them feel more accomplished.

We also need to remember that they ARE children. We don't have to be so rigid with this. Kids need to have fun and relax and chill out, as much if not more than adults do. Just because we forget to have our "rewards" sometimes, don't deprive the kids of theirs. And as they grow older, there will be plenty of time where they will have no choice but to learn how to budget their time wisely.

Learn more about this author, Elyse Williams.
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