Time management becomes more and more important for our kids as they get older. If you haven't taught them how to use their time wisely by middle school, your kids will have a very difficult time keeping up with all the new demands that come with the adolescent years: increased homework, more activities and their ever-growing social lives. Teaching kids time management can be challenging. It requires a great deal of patience and letting go.

I'm an obsessive-compulsive organizer. I like things a certain way, and I've always planned our days on an hour to hour basis. It's so tempting to do this so that things run smoothly, but when we as parents do all the planning, our kids don't learn to plan their time themselves. Being patient and tolerant enough to allow your child to complete their work on their own schedule can be excruciating, but a necessary evil.

When they are little, having a routine and getting them used to a certain schedule is perfectly acceptable. As a matter of fact, this is an important building block to teaching time management. But as they get older, assigning the responsibility of planning their own days is a better way to help them for the future.

As you make the shift, be sure to let your child know that because they are getting older, you feel it's time that they have more say in when they complete tasks. Initially, their response will probably be a big smile because you've just given them a taste of freedom. Expect this to change. The first day they forget their library books and are angry with you for forgetting, they'll start to realize the cost of this freedom.

Hold steady. Mistakes will be made. It's better to bite the bullet now while they're younger instead of waiting for the more important middle school and high school grades to suffer a bit. I allow my daughter to choose when she'll do her homework, but she knows that if she wants me to help, I'm only available certain times. She also knows that her bedtime is 9:00, whether she's done with her homework or not. (I'm still in charge of looking out for her health.) There have been times that she's been unprepared for school the next day. Fortunately for me, she's one of those kids who are fairly concerned about how well they do in school.

If you have a child that isn't as concerned, then things will need to be taken to the next level: the consequences he or she faces when grades drop. We all face consequences as adults if we do not complete a task in a timely manner. This is how you need to look at things as a parent. The best way to do this is to eliminate the reward they would have received if they had brought home more desirable grades.

In addition to school work, children can be in charge of their chores at home. If their chore is making their bed and they don't make the time for it (because they're scrambling to finish their homework they didn't plan for the night before), then there needs to be a consequence. Maybe they don't receive all or part of their allowance.

Sooner or later, your child will learn by trial and error that time management is merely a way to make life less complicated. When we do things in a timely manner, we reap many benefits and leave time to do the things we'd rather do.

Learn more about this author, Mary Franz.
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