Is Time Management for Kids really important?

Is Time Management Necessary?

There is a reason that time management is a subject in business schools. There are time management workshops in every city, not to mention the videos and books of all motivational speakers who preach time management. So, what is time management and why is it important for everyone? Let’s find out.

Humans have more than 6000 thoughts per day. Most of them are random branches of a single thought that has nothing to do with our present situation. We only act upon a handful of our thoughts, and if there is a routine, then our daily activities can be counted on the fingers of a single hand. So, why do we struggle with our work? Why does it feel like there isn’t enough time to finish everything? Why do we wish that there were more than 24 hours in a single day?

These questions are just adding to the pile of our daily thoughts just like our work that gets piled up with no time for us to finish them. As kids, we used to crave the freedom of being an adult. However, now we know that adults are prisoners of time, and the true freedom was childhood.

What if I tell you that the key to this prison is a simple technique that you can learn? And the best part is you can give this key to your kids so that they never have to be prisoners of time.

The key is called “Time Management”. It is a technique that involves planning and practicing control over your time by dividing daily activities to achieve maximum productivity and efficacy. It is important because time management boosts task efficiency, reduces stress levels, gives you more recreational time, and goals are achieved faster than you might think.

The key elements of Time Management are:

• Set realistic goals/tasks.
• Prioritize these goals/tasks wisely with the most important and big one to be done first.
• Set deadlines for these goals/tasks.
• Take energy-boosting breaks between each task.
• After a few days, remove or postpone tasks that do not provide value in the longer run.
• Plan anew and follow daily.

This was a brief about the key elements of time management. We will explore each shortly. The real question is, will you relay this invaluable knowledge to your children?

Is Time Management Important for Kids?

Kids have a very fickle mind. They jump from one thing to another instantaneously. It rarely happens that kids willingly sit in one place and finish whatever they’re doing. You might have noticed that almost all parents have a tough time feeding food to their children. It is because their brain is in the developing stage and requires constant stimulation. The part of the brain that allows adults to focus on a single thing isn’t fully developed in kids.

With the rise in technology, even adults are struggling with time management because our brain is getting used to the constant stimulation given by social media and extensive work demands. This leads to a loss of time on stuff that isn’t adding value.

If we teach our kids the technique of time management, they will get used to a quality of life where they have successfully visualized their goals, and everything gets done on time.

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Benefits of Time Management for kids

There is no need to mention that time management will help your kid to eat, sleep, and reach school in a timely fashion. Your kid will also do daily homework and chores with the help of time management. All these are instant benefits that will help them in their academics and give them a sense of satisfaction. However, what about their future? Most adults were incredible learners and disciplined students in their childhood, but they struggle with time management today because “life happened”.

Life happens to everyone, and people change over time. However, our core values are intact. Our principles do not falter because that is deep within us.
If we teach our kids the right way, then they will internalize time management as a part of their personality and this can do wonders for their life.

So, Time Management for kids is beneficial because it also teaches them the following things for life:

Punctuality

Punctuality is the act of being on time for everything, and being on time means being a bit early for everything. Your kid will have this trait and people will appreciate it. The value of punctuality in today’s world is too high. Quality of both professional and personal life will improve when your kid will learn punctuality through time management.

Self-confidence

The single most important factor that drives people to do things that others just dream of. This world tries to tell you your value, but you must know your true value to avoid insecurity and other negative feelings. Time management will teach your kid self-confidence. A trait through which the quality of life increases tenfold.

Discipline

Discipline alone can pave the path toward success. It is a guarantee that a disciplined person will reach his/her goals. Time management adds to a disciplined life. Life is divided between things you can handle and things that are out of your control. Most people even fail to control the things that are in their hands. Discipline is the key to achieving maximum certainty about success.

Priorities

Kids will learn to prioritize the right things from the start. Growing up, their decisions about things will get rock solid. Time Management for kids will not just focus on what is the top priority, but also on what isn’t. Delaying and delegating unnecessary tasks are also a part of time management.

Patience

This is probably the most beneficial thing about time management. Adult life is fast-paced and a kid who just entered adulthood is not prepared for that. Time management will keep your kid grounded and focused on one thing at a time. It will also force them to see a task to its completion. Thus, inviting patience.

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How do we teach Time Management to kids?

There isn’t a step-by-step process to teach time management to kids. One cannot just recite time management lessons that are taught to adults in business schools. Children should get enough freedom to find time management attractive enough. Therefore, conventional time management techniques won’t be very useful for kids.

Tips and Techniques of Time management for kids

Since every age has a different brain development process, we can customize our techniques for specific age groups.

Time Management for children aged 3-4

This is the age where their brains are developing rapidly. A preschool phase where every parent tries to instill some morals and lessons into them so that their school life gets easy. To introduce Time management to them at this age might seem absurd, but it is possible. You can do things like

• Make a schedule for them such as bedtime, lunchtime, study time, etc.
• Make them wait for the things that they want. This will indirectly teach them patience etc.
• Give them a time calendar to follow that has attractive pictures and drawings for each task.

Time Management for children aged 5-9

Children between these age groups are officially attending school. While schools play a major role in your child’s development, more things can be done to instill the value of time in them. You can do things like

Teaching them how to be organized. Assigning specific places for everything gives them a sense of clarity. Organized kids will have it easy to track time and go about their day.
Introduce them to timers. Set deadlines for them, and treat them when the task is completed within the deadline.
Let them take responsibility. For example, if they ever miss their homework then tell them to speak the truth to their professors at school. Consequences create a good example for kids to do tasks in a timely fashion.

Time Management for children aged 10-13

This is the age when kids start to understand the constraints of time. Academics and extracurricular activities increase, and they are forced to organize and prioritize stuff. You might want to extend a helping hand by doing these things

Help them to plan their long-term tasks. It will help them to stay on track with their goals. They will learn to divide the ongoing tasks into smaller everyday deliverables.
Let them know that quality is more important than quantity. There might be too many things to do, but doing one thing at a time properly is rewarded more than trying to do everything at once.
Empathize with them if they fail. Time management isn’t easy, and they should know that failure is a comma and not a full stop.

Books and Movies that teach Time Management to kids

Make your kids fall in love with books. Start with comics and graphic novels, and slowly move on to novels. It cannot be stressed enough how important the habit of reading is. Here are some books that your kids will learn from:

• Away with Wastefulness, by Sophia Day
• Stella Diaz Dreams Big, by Angela Dominguez
• Getting it Together, by Erin Falligant
• Planning isn’t my priority! And Making Priorities isn’t in my Plans!, by Julia Cook
• Wait by Antoinette Portis

Happy Reading!

Specific movies that cater to time management for kids are hard to find. However, anything from Disney and Studio Ghibli is a treat to watch. Your kids will love those movies, and it also has morals and lessons in them.

What can help the kids to avoid Procrastination?

Here are some tips that parents can follow to encourage execution and reduce procrastination in children.

• Help them to get started
• Plan practical goals with them
• Reward and compliment them
• Talk to them to understand their challenges
• Show them the bigger picture.

Every child is unique. Some learn fast while some take time. In the end, they all reach there with love and support. Time management will change your kids’ lives completely. It is not just a personal development technique. It is a lifestyle.