It’s no secret, school is one of the most stressful things in many children’s and young adult’s lives. With constant due dates, assignments, and tests heading their way, it can feel impossible to stay on top of all of it. Teaching your child how to take control of their time is one of the best ways you can ensure their success at school and beyond.
1. Make health and wellness a priority
Throughout the school years, it is easy to let health fall by the wayside. Between classes, homework, work, extracurriculars, and something resembling a social life, the little things that add up to good health can fall by the wayside. Getting a full eight hours of sleep does not seem all that important when discussing time management because they will not impact popularity or GPA, but keeping a full eight hour night for sleep can make a huge difference in their ability to focus when they are working on school or anything else. Exercise may also not seem like a big deal because of that famous teenage metabolism, but exercising between study sessions can help improve energy and brain function, as well as aiding mental health with a solid dose of endorphins. Help your teen find time in their days for exercise and their nights for sleep!
2. Find scheduling tools that will work for them
No two students are exactly alike, so take the time to find out what scheduling tools work for them! Some students would love hour by hour planners, while others would be overwhelmed by them. Some thrive on being able to check every little thing off of the list, but others will get overwhelmed with a list that is too long. Take the time to learn about what will help your student, and be open to other options! If your high schooler is always with their phone, introduce them to apps that will help them manage time! Some will send reminders to start homework if they schedule it, while others have an agenda style of display – talk about it with your teen, and help them find time management tools that work for them! You just might find one you like too.
3. Prioritize everything
Is this assignment going to significantly impact my grade? Is it due in the next week? Will it take very long to complete? These questions can be used to prioritize different assignments that pop up so that what is crucial always gets done well and on time, and what is due tomorrow is not done tomorrow. Break major assignments into smaller chunks, and take the time to get them done early. Schedule time for last-minute assignments that are handed out, and schedule other time to get a head start on major assignments that are a little further off so you are not left cramming.
Now, go implement these time management tips to help your high school student succeed!
