Tuesday, July 26, 2011

How Do You Teach Time Management To Kids?

It's back to school time again and here at Sixes Elementary, where I work, everyone is busy preparing for the first day of school which begins next week!  I work with an amazing team of caring, dedicated people and there is a flurry of activity as rooms are prepared, materials are sorted and lesson plans are created.

As a parent, I remember the days leading up to the first day of school a a little differently.  It was not only time to buy school supplies and school clothes, but it was also time to get back on a different schedule.  Late nights and sleeping in needed to turn  into early organized mornings and bedtime routines.  This sounds much easier than it actually is.  Many a parent has become a raving maniac, just from dealing with a resistant slower-than-molasses child who needs to catch the school bus at the designated time each morning.

Recently, I attended Dr. Robert Rohm's Advanced Behavioral Training where we learned time tips for the four different personality types.  It seems to me that knowing something about how each personality type approaches time, could help teachers and parents alike, as we all prepare for back to school schedules.  Here's a few pointers:

'D' personality styles are dominant, independent, impatient and competitive.  They tend to focus on the future and are high achievers.  To get your high 'D' child on a great morning routine, provide them with control and challenge.  Have them be an active part in planning and implementing their schedule and routine.  Make sure they understand the results of their efforts.

'I' personality styles are inspiring, energetic, friendly and talkative.  They tend to focus on the present and  enjoy meeting and influencing people.  To get them motivated for a successful morning routine and school year, emphasize the fun and interactive aspects.  Since 'I' personalities tend to be loosely disciplined and unfocused, you as the parent may need to teach them the benefits of structure and focus. To engage them and make sure they are motivated, make sure you build in some fun, energetic and interactive components to their routine.

'S' personality styles tend to be supportive, steady, good helpers and practical.  They like things to be simple and problem-free.  Provide a low-pressure, encouraging morning atmosphere and you will gain their cooperation.  A steady predictable routine where they receive frequent feedback for a job well-done will go a long way to motivate them.

Finally the 'C' personality style tends to be cautious, accurate, precise and insightful.  They focus on past information to make logical choices and prefer getting all the details in order to make quality decisions.  This child is more likely to get YOU on a morning schedule than to need to you to structure them!  However, because of their perfectionistic nature, they do sometimes need more time to do things the right way, so make sure you build extra time into their morning schedule.

Well, there you have it;  some time tips for  creating a successful morning schedule with your child while taking into account their personality style.  Here's to a GREAT NEW SCHOOL YEAR!

1 comment:

  1. Time management skills are important for every member of our family including our kids. Our children are growing up surrounded by latest technology. There are certain apps that we can use to teach some essential time management skills for our kids.

    Recently, I found one such application for time management. Here's the link ( http://www.replicon.com/olp/online-time-recording-software.aspx ) to know more about that application!

    ReplyDelete