So the holiday season is about to end, and your child is about to start a new session at school. It’s exciting when you see children getting supplies for their new session. However, the start of school also brings with it the dire need for time management in the light of their disrupted routines during the break!
Since your child will be involved in numerous activities at school and at home, it’s important that they learn to manage how much time they will be spending on each activity. Curricular, extracurricular, contests, science fairs sports events; the activity list at the American schools Dubai is long, and your child will need these critical time management skills in order to cope well!
Tips to teach time management to your little ones
Here are a few tips that can help you teach time management to your children:
Get them to bed on time
Start with setting up a bedtime routine for your little one. According to a study, children aged 3 to 5 need a sleep of about 10 to 13 years whereas children aged 6 to 13 years of age require about 10-11 hours of sleep. In addition, teenagers between 14-17 need 8 to 10 hours of sleep every day.
Setting a bedtime routine for them plays a significant part in administering time management because your child will work around their everyday routine in an attempt to get to sleep on time.
Create a Routine checklist for your child
If you’re adamant on reducing stress during the week, construct checklists for everyday routines. Your kids follow the same routines during the week which is why the tasks they perform are predictable.
However, instead of badgering them every day about the things they need to do, create a personal activity checklist for each child. Make accountability a major part of this activity as it will help them stick to the list.
Let kids create personal calendars
Although timetables in school may help keep them on track, after-school activities are your responsibility which is why you should help your child create a calendar so that they know what they are for.
Get them their own timepiece
Kids may learn to tell time, however, the importance of time isn’t something they learn early. To ensure that they value time, get them a watch and teach them to tell time if they don't know already. Also, teach them how many minutes each routine task should take, so they realize the importance of time management.
Allow them to plan
Taking off for school every day may be haphazard and frantic. Since planning is required to leave the house on time, let them know what time they need to be out of the house and let them work out the tasks on the checklist that they need to accomplish before stepping out of the house.
If they have a project, add that to the checklist so that the kids know what they should be checking off their list.
Set up a mealtime
Just like their bedtime, children should be aware of their meal times. Another way to go about it is to arrange for all members of the family to have meals at the same time, which would help them spend time together as a family after a long day!
Set up a time for the use of electronics
It’s not just about preaching and not practicing, which is why you need to demonstrate to your kid that gadgets including phones and ipads are only allowed for a certain period of time. Forbid the use of gadgets in bed and demonstrate what you’re preaching!
Devise a study plan
Of course, your children will be working with a, and it is essential to provide them a dedicated time to study. Work with them during this time and help them out in their homework and assignments.
Take away
Use the tips mentioned above to regulate your child's routine and inculcate the importance of time management in them. Start of the school year often brings with it disturbed patterns and a routine which goes on to affect learning at school. All the more reasons to help your child master the art of time management!
It’s also essential to opt for a school that helps inculcate essential skills in children that help them perform better in class. Choose American schools in Dubai and allow your child to learn some of the most critical skills that allow them to grow up to be responsible adults!
Related article: how to get your child to learn, even when out of school
