“Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.”
– William Penn
Time. It’s relentless.
Another year has passed like an express train on butter.
The earth has clocked up an another 584 million miles on its galactic odometer as it whizzes around the sun.
Four seasons have flashed before your eyes…
…yet you still didn’t find the time to meet up with X, read up on Y or take the kids to visit Z.
And as you struggle to get the kids out the door, you wish they shared your sense of urgency.
But they’re totally oblivious. To them, they have all the time in the world…so why rush?
Why is it that time can pass so quickly for you, but so slowly for them?
Where Do We Get Our Sense of Time?
A sense of time doesn’t just happen. It evolves and matures.
We frequently hear that children live in the moment. And this is true, especially when young.
Take toddlers. Their short attention spans ensure they’re absorbed in the here and now.
That’s why your car keys offer endless entertainment. And peek-a-boo never gets dull.
RELATED: Losing your child to screens?
But why? There are several theories:
- Fewer Firsts. First day of school, first kiss, first car…There are lots of first in life. But with passing years they grow fewer, and your memories of those ‘firsts’ seem so long ago.
- You’re getting older. Each passing year is an ever-smaller fraction of your life. But if you’re only 5 – this year is only one-fifth of your life – thus time appears to last longer.
- Pay less attention. When you’re an adult, you’ve got so much else on your mind like bills, chores and work. When you’re a child, things are simpler. You count down the minutes till screen time ends while your parents count down the days until the mortgage is due.
- Biological clock slows. Yes, we don’t like hearing this either, but as we age, our biological clock slows (our internal pacemaker) in comparison to analogue clocks, calendars, etc.
- Short-term memory gains. As you mature, your short-term memory increases, boosting time awareness. (Though short-term memory may eventually decrease later in life).
How Kids Interpret Time
The older a child, the more their awareness of the past and future, not just the present:
- 2-3-year-olds live mostly in the present and appreciate the predictability of routines.
- 4-6-year-olds begin to hone their understanding of past, present and future.
- 7-years+ children tend to have already mastered basic maths, clocks and calendars.
Developing an understanding of time helps your child to plan and prioritise.
Which in turn means smoother routines, better grades and less aggravation.
There are some simple steps you can take to help your child manage time:
#1 Prioritise:
Learning how to sequence and prioritise is key to good time management.
Start with the absolute basics: What MUST be done today and in what order?
On a typical weekday this may include:
- Waking up.
- Eating breakfast.
- Getting ready and going to school.
- Having lunch.
- Coming home from school.
- Doing homework.
- Eating dinner.
- Getting ready for bed.
- Going to bed.
Ask them to estimate how long each activity should take.
And once your child has mastered the essentials, throw other activities into the mix.
For example, when would ballet class or piano lessons fit in? How long should they last?
Slowly but surely, they’ll grasp both sequencing and prioritisation.
TopTip: For young kids starting out, start with something really tangible, like planning a meal! They’ll need to choose a recipe, source ingredients, cook, serve and clean up!
#2 Plan
Once your child has mastered sequencing and prioritisation, try weekly planning.
Download an Activity Planner, then add the following:
- Important dates like anniversaries and birthdays.
- Extra-curricular activities like soccer practice or chess club.
- Recreational activities like visiting friends or going to the cinema.
- Deadlines – for homework or exam dates.
Get your child into the habit of colour-coding different fixture types for easy identification.
So extracurricular activities could be green, recreational activities blue, and deadlines red.
And ensure they put them in sequence and don’t overlap! Add start times where appropriate.
Give them guidance as to how to prioritise their time (e.g. homework done before dinner).
And when an activity is done, have them put a big cross through them!
TopTip: Weekly planners work great with homework diaries. Just be sure your kids keep both updated! You could also consider a shared family calendar to help your kids plan ahead.
#3 Observe
Whether they’re still grasping the basics…
…or are fully-fledged time champions, keep track of how your kids spend their time.
How long do they take to do their homework?
Are they spending a disproportionate time on screens?
Do they have enough down time at the end of the day?
While effective scheduling can help kids grasp time effectively…
…over-scheduling can lead to stress and anxiety.
So continuously talk to your child about their time management. If they’re doing too much, consider cutting back a commitment, or fine-tuning their schedule.
TopTip: Get your kids into healthy screen habits by doing homework BEFORE screen time.
On a parting note, remember that good time management is a skill that takes time to develop, so don’t expect your kids to be super-slick multitaskers straight away.
Follow the tips above, and when filling out your schedule, read the dates and times aloud when your kids are nearby. Seeing how you plan will teach your kids how to do the same. (It’s also the perfect opportunity to ask the kids what they’ve planned in their schedule too).
Happy scheduling!
What aspects of day-to-day parenting life pass quickest for you? And which drag on?
Let us know in the comments below.