Between bedtimes, getting up, eating meals, doing homework, getting active, and using screens, mothers struggle to organize the time of their young ones.
They try to get them to respect punctuality, but just telling them the time does not give them an understanding of its value.
Although most children do not have the cognitive skills to independently organize their schedules until adolescence, they can begin to be taught how to plan and prioritize their time, instilling in them that time is limited and that their future success depends on it.
Mothers struggle to organize their children's time between bedtimes, waking up, eating meals and doing homework (pixels)
Lazy or not knowing the value of time?
In the beginning, Reem Mustafa Omran, the educational consultant and specialist in modifying children's behavior and learning difficulties, differentiates between a child who does not know the value of time and a child who is slow in carrying out tasks.
She explains, "A child who is slow in carrying out his tasks is not necessarily unappreciated for time, but he may have a problem with planning, organizing, and prioritizing skills, and these are functional mental skills, such as the ability to focus and pay attention, perseverance, social communication, and creative thinking." .
The difference between the two cases can be seen. If there is a problem in carrying out certain tasks only with the child’s ability to maintain his routine and carry out other tasks on time, no matter how difficult they are, then in that case we make sure that he knows the value of time well, but he slows down.
Reem adds, "Considering that there are boring routine tasks for him, such as cleaning his room, and here he slows down. As for a child who does not accomplish any tasks and cannot maintain his routine, he will have a real problem in estimating or knowing the value of time."
When do you start?
And what are the steps?
Teaching the child the importance of time and commitment to it begins from a very early age, even a newborn child can be taught time by setting a daily routine for him, whether determining the time of feeding and bedtime, according to Reem.
"When he reaches the age of two years, we set a routine for the whole day, such as the time for waking up from sleep and the time for eating breakfast, and then gradually increasing the matter until school age, and setting a specific time for studying daily," Reem added.
As for the child who has not been trained in time management since childhood, Reem advises starting with him gradually, setting realistic goals and applying them gradually. Or a routine until he gets used to it."
The child must be trained to organize time from an early age and gradually (pixels)
Reem points out that there are simple steps to teach the child the value of time and the skill of managing it, including:
Make time management fun
Mums tend to organize time on key tasks that little ones don't like, like when to sleep, wake up and study. Learning to manage time should be fun for kids. Colored "chalks" can be used to color calendars, and add stickers to mark special days.
It can be made a game to see who can complete simple tasks around the house that usually take a lot of time, the more time management is fun for kids the easier it will be to make them understand the importance of time and how to manage it.
- Start from an early age
Teens can be taught time management skills too, but the earlier the better for them and the easier it is for the mother.
Show your children how to measure time
Even children who know how a clock works are not necessarily good at how to measure time, a mother can help them by setting a timer during a period of time in which they are supposed to complete a certain task.
Gradually the children will learn what 5 or 15 minutes means, and that they have a specific time to complete the tasks.
Don't over-set a lot of tasks for the child
One of the most common mistakes some mothers make is getting the child to participate in too many activities after school, making the schedule full all days of the week.
It is necessary not to exaggerate the children's agenda, which negatively affects their knowledge of time management in the correct way, and then - all they have to do is to constantly move from one activity to another, and this is what makes them tired and indifferent to time.
It is necessary not to overdo it with children's agenda (Pixabe)
- Stick to the schedule
At the beginning of the implementation of the schedule for the child, it is expected that he will not be committed to performing the tasks completely on time, and the mother in this case must adhere to the schedule regardless of the task’s completion. The second item on the schedule is getting him to go to bed on time, which seems necessary in the first days and weeks of learning about time management.
- Scheduling free time
It is important to set a schedule and stick to it, and part of that schedule should include free time.
Playtime can be fun and unstructured, but it can also have a start and end time, and this will help children know that time management is not just about getting ready to go somewhere or finishing a particular activity on time, but rather learning that time management can be used Also at leisure and play.
Setting daily priorities
Most children do not understand priorities and their relationship to the value of time, and a mother can help them organize their day and set priorities.
Children should think about what comes first in their day, such as brushing their teeth, and then move on to what should come next, such as getting their textbooks ready in the morning and completing their homework before bed.
Helping a child prioritize their day is something they can use throughout life and help them accomplish the most important tasks, and soon they will have the ability to manage time.