Guide to Time Management Skills for Kids
Efficiently managing your time is key to your success. However, time management is just as important for your child. These skills can affect how your child performs in school, including whether he or she can participate in extracurriculars and how much free time he or she has to decompress.
Understanding time extends beyond reading an analog clock — good time management skills help your child stick to a healthy routine. As your child grows and takes on more responsibilities, you can help them develop and strengthen his or her time management skills.
3 Time Management Tips for Your Kids
Here are three tips to help your kids understand time management.
1. Help Your Child Tell Time
If your child is older, he or she may already know how to tell time. If not, understand that time is a complex concept that involves knowing math. Around age 5 or 6, many children start to understand time. Still, some children won't learn how to tell precise times until they're older.
You can help your child learn to tell time by putting a clock in their room. For a more fun, portable strategy, buy them a watch. Children's watches have bright, attractive colors and often feature characters. These designs will encourage your child to wear and use their watch.
2. Start Early with Tangible Routines
Both you and your child will benefit from having a routine. Yours might be more complex, with a to-do list that changes each day. However, seeing you do those tasks is good for your child.
Younger children need simple, tangible routines that follow a logical order. Try turning your kid's morning routine into a straightforward checklist. Include logical tasks such as waking up, getting dressed, brushing teeth, eating breakfast, and getting in the car or heading to the bus stop.
Another crucial element of your child's routine is their bedtime. Once you've set an age-appropriate bedtime that works for your child, stick to it and create a bedtime routine.
3. Create Time Limits
A basic routine that focuses on order is a great way to help your child tell time. Still, asking your child to clean their room for 10 minutes before dinner at 6 p.m. requires several things. Your child must be able to determine when it is 10 minutes before 6 p.m. and how to know when that time has elapsed.
Once they can tell time and understand how it passes, you can implement times into their routine. This ability lets you set written and verbal time limits for tasks.
At this stage, you can create time management activities for your kids. Offer incentives for getting something done in a specified timespan, or challenge your children to see who can do something faster.
The Importance of Time Management for Students
At The St. Paul's Schools, we use time management class activities to help our students develop better time management skills. Children in St. Paul's Pre and Lower School have engaging, digestible routines that promote the understanding of time from an early age. We also teach time management for middle and upper school students.
Contact St. Paul's to request information about strengthening your school-age children's time management skills.