“Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.”
― William Penn
Time management is one of the essential life skills which even elders struggle to master. In the case of students, (without a doubt) it gets even more challenging. The focus of our young ones will most likely be on things other than their academics. Spending time with friends and being active on social media will take priority over other activities in life. So, here’s the challenge that we hope to overcome in this blog issue – what can you do as parents to help them realize the importance of time and make better use of it?
Conversations are key!
Talk to your children with love, and at the same time, be reasonable. Have a conversation with them instead of just telling them what to do without considering their opinions. Talk to them about why you want them to be better at utilizing their time and advise them on how to do it.
Set Goals
Set “Realistic” goals for your children to achieve and set a time limit for them. It can help them see the path to move forward and the end results. It is even better to break down the goals into simple tasks and finish them one by one. Achieving individual goals can be motivating and helps add momentum. On the contrary, if your children are working towards an impossibly long goal, it can be tiring and eventually slow them down.
Create a routine
Help your children create a routine and follow it. Sit down with them and take inputs while making it. Allot enough time for activities they want to do. Sticking to a routine can inculcate habits in your children and help them complete their daily tasks without any hassle.
Note it down
Tell your children to note down the tasks they have to do for the day (a hand diary is preferable to smartphones or tablets). They can cross it out once they finish a task. It can help them look up what they have to do and plan their day accordingly.
Prioritize tasks
Teach your children to prioritize their tasks. Sometimes one may not be able to complete all the tasks in their daily list. So, make sure they prioritise the tasks at hand. If there is simply too much to do, the low priority ones can be postponed.
Study area
Make sure your children have a study area free from distractions. It can help them get in a state of concentration and optimise the study flow. It will clear their mind of clutter and eradicate as many distractions as possible. So, it is important for parents to not only teach their children how to manage their time, but they also need to teach them how to effectively utilise the time allocated for each task.
Pomodoro Technique
Pomodoro technique? The term sounds new to you? Ok, here’s what it means – you divide the time you set for studies into time blocks with regular breaks in between. A good idea for the time-block would be 50 mins learning and a 10-minute break. After three such sessions, you can let your children take a long break. It helps your children to stay focussed and refreshed throughout the study sessions.
Screen time limit
Today, screen time is the biggest factor that cuts into children’s study and sleep time. So, set the hours for screen usage and make sure the children stick to it. Set “no tech zones” in your house – they aren’t allowed to use their devices in these spaces. Some apps can help you block out the distracting apps on the phone during study time. It can help free your children from screen addiction and free up a lot of time for them to use for productive purposes.
Sleep schedule
Make sure your children have a proper sleep schedule. A good night’s sleep is vital for them to function well during the day. Waking up fully refreshed and energetic can have them working with focus, saving a lot of time.
Plan for contingencies
One of the things you have to do while teaching your children to manage their time is to teach them to plan for contingencies or emergencies. Tell them to set some time to deal with anything unexpected that might come their way. If nothing unexpected happens, they can just use that time for their leisure.
Ask for help
Help your children to understand that if they need help with any of their tasks, it is perfectly acceptable to ask for help. If they are stuck with a homework question, instead of wasting time trying to solve it without any result, tell them to ask for help. Be it from you, from their friends, or teachers, encourage them to do so. There are many online learning materials and courses available on the web that can help them understand concepts better.
Assess yourself.
Help your children assess themselves. In the process of doing that, also help them find out their strengths and weaknesses. Try to find out how and where they are wasting their time and how they can optimise it instead. Keeping a daily journal can be helpful.
The performance of a student depends on how well they make use of the time they have. A well-structured time management system needs to be in place in their life. You might not have been doing so until now. But as Mother Theresa once said:
“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”
We urge you to take note of these tips and give them a go. All after, nothing like the present to improve the future. We are sure you won’t be disappointed. All the best! 🙂
Exam Smart Tips
Exam Smart Tip #1 – How to Encourage Our Kids to Speak Better?
Exam Smart Tip #2 – How to avoid carelessness?
Exam Smart Tip #3 – Establishing Routines!
Exam Smart Tip #4 – Let’s Read Carefully!
Exam Smart Tip #5 – Beating the Exam Fever!
Exam Smart Tip #6 – How to Eat Right for the Exams?
Exam Smart Tip #7 – How to Avoid a Meltdown?
Exam Smart Tip #8 – Taking Stress out of Tests
Who We Are
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With the basics learnt well, children will be able to grasp advanced concepts easily. Looking for the best PSLE math tuition, PSLE Science tuition and PSLE English tuition in Singapore? 88tuition has got you covered. The online training videos and assessments are designed in a way that children are made to enjoy the learning process.
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