Time Management for Kids: 9 Ways to Help Sharpen Your Child's Skills

About six million children between the ages of 3-17 have been diagnosed with ADHD. These kids struggle with many of the aspects of school. One of them is time management.

The good news is that you can teach these skills to your child. It's all about helping your child define their homework priorities.

Help them become more aware of how much time they spend on their assignments, talk to their teachers, and create a careful routine.

These are only a few time management for kids tips to implement at home. Check out this guide to learn more about teaching your child to use time wisely.

1. Defining Priorities

The first step in helping your child become more time efficient is to sit down with them and define their homework priorities.

Go down the list of assignments they have due and arrange them from highest priority to lowest. Talk through the importance of each homework task. Why is it crucial that they get them done?

2. Make It Fun

Time management is different for adults than it is for kids. That means it can't be approached the same way. Children need a dash of fun, or they'll lose interest.

Let them decorate their calendars with crayons and colorful stickers. Make it a game.

Have a race to see who can get chores done around the house faster. If your child wins, don't forget to give them a prize.

If you make time management fun, your child will be more likely to practice good habits even when they aren't part of a fun game.

3. Make Your Child Aware of Time

Not every child knows how to manage time. This is true even if they can read a clock.

Make your child more aware of the passage of time by assigning them a task and setting an alarm. Give them vocal queues as the moments tick by. For example, let them know when they only have half an hour left.

Chances are, next time when you tell them you need to leave the house in ten minutes, they'll know they don't have time to finish an episode of their favorite cartoon program.

4. Start Early

The tips you're reading here are advice for middle schoolers and younger kids. While you can teach teenagers time management skills, you'll see better results from starting your child early.

If your child is preschool age, give them small tasks to complete within a timeframe. Some examples include cleaning a room, getting dressed, and putting away toys.

Once your child gets a little older, you can up the ante by assigning start and end times for their homework.

5. Create a Routine

It will be difficult for children to grasp time management if they don't have a routine. If they go to school, this is easy. They'll wake up, eat lunch, and go to bed at the same time each night during the weekday.

You'll need to continue the routine on the weekend and during vacations to prevent your child from falling out of it.

If your child goes to school virtually, creating a schedule becomes trickier. Set aside a block of time for every subject. Feed your child lunch at the same time every day.

Everyone needs a break. Devote some time toward recess. Make their day look the same as it would if they were going to school physically.

6. Make a Family Calendar

Creating a family calendar can keep everyone on task. Make a document on your computer and fill it in with your family's schedule.

Include any upcoming vacations, afterschool activities, birthdays, Dr. appointments, and school events. Assign each of your family members a color. For example, if your child loves green, use that color to highlight their tasks.

This activity will show your child that they're not the only one who has to adhere to a schedule. Everyone does.

7. Track Progress

Your child will want to feel like they're making progress. If they don't think their efforts are paying off, they'll lose motivation.

When your child reaches a personal time goal, celebrate it. Record their progress where they can see it, and consider giving them a reward.

Give them extra time to play a game they've been excited about, or schedule a family game night.

8. Pencil in Free Time

Your child is a person at the end of the day. They get stressed out and overwhelmed like anyone else.

That's why you can't overload them. Don't talk them into participating in ten afterschool activities. They can't manage that with their homework and other responsibilities.

Pencil free time into their schedule. Your child needs a moment to themselves at the end of the day to wind down and pursue the hobbies they enjoy.

9. Use Tools

There are apps available that will help teach your child time management skills. Some kids learn by doing. They may benefit from physical calendars with colorful magnets.

Once your child gets older and their tests get harder, consider NotesEdu Exam Preparation Programs!

Understanding Time Management for Kids

Time management for kids is different than it is for adults. Children are still learning how to measure time.

Teaching them time management skills requires special tactics. Assist them with defining their assignment priorities, create a routine to help them get things done, keep track of their progress, and don't forget to pencil in free time.

If you don't give your child time to unwind, they'll become overwhelmed and lose motivation.

For more school tips that will help you make your child a success, explore the rest of our blog.