Learning to use time well
No one seems to have enough time these days. Parents say that there is too much to do and too little time to do it in. And they are not the only ones to complain.
Many children have a full schedule of out-of-home activities and commitments. And whole families go into panic mode when racing the clock just to get out in the mornings. Modern families struggle with a special kind of poverty: time poverty.
Someone once said that there’s never enough time to do everything, but there’s always time to do the most important thing. Recent research suggests that today’s young people have decided on something that is very important to them. Children between the ages of 8 and 18, we are told, are spending an average 45 hours each week watching TV and DVDs, playing video games, using the various Web 2.0 technologies, and listening to music. But that’s an issue for another time…
Time for a balanced life
One of the most important things that children can be taught, both at home and at school, is to use their time effectively. If a life is to be led to the full, it must be balanced. It must have a place for reading, hobbies, praying, playing, exercising, thinking and relating to family members, as well as sitting in front of a screen.
It can be useful to stand back occasionally and consider how effectively our children are using their time. Here are some proven time-management strategies that parents and teachers can share with children. They are best taught incidentally, when the time is just right.
Plan a day’s activities ‘This Saturday, let’s start by writing down the things we want to do. As we complete them, we’ll tick them off.’
Practise prioritising ‘Not all activities are equally important. Let’s pick out the most important thing we want to do today. How much time will we give to it?’
Keep a balance ‘Let’s make sure that we have variety in our day. We need exercise and conversation as well as that all-important quiet time without which we can all become tired and unfocussed.’
Think of others ‘Time is a very precious gift. Can we plan to give some of it to others? We might do something to help other members of the family, visit relatives, or play with a younger brother or sister. What is one way we can give a gift of time today?’
Manage deadlines One of the greatest time pressures comes with approaching deadlines: bus timetables, school starting times, dates when homework is due. Learning to be conscious of deadlines and working towards meeting these are vital skills for people of all ages. Adults can help children to work calmly and systematically towards deadlines, not by nagging but by encouragement and by example.
In a fast-paced world, children who have learnt to use their time well will have mastered a very basic survival skill – a skill that is very relevant in any modern education.
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