As any parent who has a teenager in the house knows, time can mean very little during the teen years. ‘I’ll do it later’ or ‘in a minute’ being perhaps the most common phrases they utter when asked to do something. It can be difficult to teach your child time management skills but it will definitely save them from lots of trouble later on.
 
Learning time management skills
Time management and organisation comes down to making good decisions. Teenagers must learn to differentiate between what they want and what they need. They will need to learn how to prioritise what is important. Teach your teen to first attend to what they need to do and they can then focus on what they would like to do if there is time.A good way to assess how your teenager is currently using their time is to get them to write down what they are doing over a two or three-day period and then see where they are losing time.
 
Creating a schedule
Once you have both worked out how best to spend their time, you can create a schedule. First write in the things that need to be done, such as homework, chores, sports or music practice or a part-time job. Once these are set in stone, you can get your teen to fill in their wants, remembering to schedule time for precious sleep!Parents can help by sitting down with their child and pointing out what the needs and wants are so they can understand the difference. Schedule in free time too as well as activities, needs and wants.The most important thing is not to leave important things to the last minute as it will only cause stress for all involved.

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