Teaching your Teen Time Management
Your kids have known how to tell time since elementary school. But even with this background, as teens, they are late, don’t get chores completed, and may turn in assignments late to school. Time management is more than just knowing how to read a clock. It’s a struggle for teens to know what to do and how to get things done with time management.
According to Psychology Today, time management is just one of the four most critical areas for teens today. With the level of brain development, teens are not fully equipped for time management. Because brain development continues into the twenties, teens benefit from our coaching them with time management through high school and college. Teens are unsure of what to do first, how long it will take to complete, and how to get started. Teen time management includes coaching in prioritizing, initiation and procrastination, and duration of a task or project.
Prioritizing
What’s important and should be done first? That’s a question not only teens struggle with. Parents don’t always agree on this between themselves. How do we know what’s most important? It can be a matter of focus for all of us. However, you can help your child make these decisions by helping them process what needs to be done.
- Encourage your teen to write down their priorities. For most kids that includes school grades, friends, church, and activities. If there are too many priorities, too many sports, or too many extracurricular activities, you can coach them to understand just how much time it takes for each activity.
- Grid out with your kids the time available and where their priorities fit on the grid. Time blocking works well because kids can see what they have to do and when they will be doing it. That includes time for self care like sleep too. Using a paper or digital planner makes time more visual.
- Set aside time to plan. Weekly planning time with their planner each Sunday or Monday gives your teen time to acknowledge everything that is on their plate and also record due dates. With so much information coming in by text and social media, they need time to consolidate it all in one place.
Initiation and Procrastination
Getting started on a task can be the hardest part of any project. Also known as initiation, those with executive function challenges find planning engaging but getting started more difficult. Procrastination can be from fear, lack of skill, or lack of motivation.
- Plan an initiation strategy. For many, the “warm-up” to the project is gathering the materials, reviewing the instructions, or checking online with others in the class. Creating your own “warm-up” strategy will help for all upcoming assignments.
- Make it fun to get started. Find an innovative way to start a project. You can add in technology or a gadget, work with a partner, or create a new perspective on the project.
- Schedule the time to start a project. At that time, use a timer, set for 15 minutes, to help you get started.
- Brainstorm the costs of procrastination. What’s at stake? What will happen? What are the consequences of not getting started soon enough? Coach your student through this process to verbalize the costs.
- Set up a compelling, organized environment. A clear workspace, quiet or white noise, and easy to access school supplies make it easier to get started.
Duration
We don’t know how long it takes to get a specific task done. But we do know that we can guess and set a time on our calendar to get a task done.
- Help your teen create routines that take just 5 minutes. Making their bed, placing laundry in the basket, and putting trash away are 3 small tasks that take less than 5 minutes altogether. Your teen might think these take much longer. Write out routines with only 3 steps so that your teen isn’t overwhelmed.
- Create more time awareness with more analog clocks. Clocks should be in all your spaces to be sure you are gauging your time.
- Your teen can set a timer when they start a task. Clocking the time will help them know how long a task takes.
- Break big projects or tasks into baby steps. Map out small sections of a project, and assign a time and date to accomplish them. Nothing seems as overwhelming when it’s broken into smaller chunks.
Transition time
Building in transition time helps your teen be on time. That is the time that is between activities and moving from place to place. Your teen may not allow enough time to get ready, get to school, or clock in for a job. Coach your teen on how much time it takes to drive from home to school, then set use a timer to realistically learn the amount of time it takes. Having sufficient transit time helps your tee feel more confident and less stressed.
Tools for time management
Planners
Focusing apps
On your smartphone
- Clock with timer for getting started and timing how long a task takes
- Pandora playlist for organizing or homework time
- Notes for making lists
- Reminders and more tech
It takes practice, practice, and practice to learn the skills of time management. Don’t get impatient with your teen about how long it takes. Every experience is a learning opportunity here.
What stood out to me most here is the recommendation to use analog clocks. Someone pointed out to me that we rarely look at a watch or clock to see what time it is now, but how much time we have until XXX (class starts, the bus comes, our show begins). A digital clock doesn’t provide that at a glance, forcing us to figure it out in our heads. Because we didn’t get a quick answer, we’ll often look again very soon.
Good point Janet! I know that many people use their phones instead of a watch for telling time too and that is also digital.
Skills take practice – yes, yes, yes! And we need to be patient as we develop expertise! I love letting teens use a playlist as a “timer”… so many adults could benefit from these tips!
I concur! We often think that once is enough. More practice = better results
Always find it fascinating how different our relationship to and perception of time can be for kids, teens and adults. Love your concrete tips for helping to navigate time for those that are time challenged.
Thanks Linda! Our relationship with time can grow and develop, just as our relationship with organizing and productivity does too.
Yes I am with you on trying to find the best fit for your child getting into the study zone. I am going to try a few different things as my son starts high school this year, one of them would be setting a play list.
Great post Ellen! I love the idea of having Sam write down his priorities for each week. He’s only in first grade but I think this would be great to learn. I also love the idea of creating a vision board with him! Imagine how fun it would be when he’s a senior to look back and see his vision boards from each year! Love these ideas! Printing and sharing with hubby! I just love your brain! 🙂
Great post Ellen! My kids struggle with managing their time on long-term projects. I am getting my copy of Order Out Of Chaos Planner soon and hope it works for them. Thanks for sharing.
@Jill – So glad you are working with your son as he enters high school. That’s an important time to focus on time management.
@Autumn – We help our kids focus on priorities first, and hopefully they add their own too.
@Sabrina – Love the Order Out of Chaos planner!
Great post, great ideas and thanks for mentioning our planner! 🙂
Love your Order Out of Chaos planner. It has all students (and even parents) need to have a successful school year by taking time management to the next level.
It’s all about consolidating to one place where you have all your assignments. The weekly planning process is important so no one assignment gets overlooked.
Thanks for sharing these success strategies for students.