Effective Time Management for Kids: 6 Proven Strategies
To help parents teach their kids effective time management skills, we asked six founders and nutritionists for their best advice. From initiating conversations and creating weekly schedules to teaching by example and encouraging daily planning, here are the top six tips these experts shared on how to balance extracurricular activities with academics and personal life.
- Initiate Conversations and Create Weekly Schedules
- Lead by Example
- Introduce a Visual Weekly Planner
- Establish Routines and Involve Children in Planning
- Create a Timetable Linked to Rewards
- Encourage Daily Planning
Initiate Conversations and Create Weekly Schedules
Time management is critical for the success of young people. As a teacher and coach, I advise parents to initiate open conversations about priorities. Discuss their long-term goals and figure out which activities are going to help them move closer to achieving those long-term goals—these activities should take priority.
Creating a weekly schedule with social, sporting, and school commitments all blocked out is a strong place to start. As a general rule, we should spend eight hours per day working, eight hours playing/relaxing, and eight hours sleeping—if young people can get anywhere near that balance, they will be doing an amazing job!
As parents, your support and understanding, combined with actionable advice, can guide them from merely surviving their teenage years to genuinely thriving.
Ross Crabb
Founder, Academic Performance Coaching
Lead by Example
We firmly believe in nurturing not just physical health, but also overall well-being, and that includes effective time management. My wife and I approach this in a few ways. Firstly, we lead by example. We maintain a balanced work-life and family time, showing our kids the importance of setting boundaries.
Secondly, we encourage our kids to prioritize tasks. We teach them to create to-do lists, set goals, and break tasks into manageable chunks. This helps them understand what needs to be done and when. Of course, being kids, they also need downtime, so we make sure there’s time in their schedules for relaxation and pursuing hobbies. It’s crucial for them to understand that it’s not just about filling every minute of the day, but making the most of the time they have.
Isaac Robertson
Co-Founder and Nutritionist, Total Shape
Introduce a Visual Weekly Planner
Teaching my kids time management began with introducing them to a visual weekly planner. We’d sit down every Sunday and plot out their activities and homework assignments. Color-coding made it fun!
By setting priorities and visualizing their week, they began to understand the importance of allocating time effectively. Additionally, we incorporated “buffer zones”—free pockets of time for relaxation or unexpected tasks. Over time, this exercise not only honed their organizational skills but also fostered a sense of responsibility.
The best part? Witnessing them enjoy both their extracurriculars and academics without feeling overwhelmed. A win-win in my parenting book!
Matthew Sims
Personal Injury Lawyer, Rapoport Weisberg & Sims, P.C.
Establish Routines and Involve Children in Planning
My son is an avid baseball player and stays busy between two teams, school, and a personal life. To help him find balance, we live by schedules and routines. We do homework as soon as he gets home from school each day. I give him a heads-up if he has a practice or game so he can use his free time accordingly.
I create visual schedules for him so he can see what he has each day and know how much time he has outside of school and sports to do other things. I also ask questions about what he wants to do with his time so I can help him plan and make time for those things. This helps him learn about trade-offs and builds his perceptions about time.
How we spend time also helps him find balance. For example, we build family time into games and practices, such as eating meals together or doing activities between games instead of hanging out at the ball field. We bring friends along or ride with teammates to the game so he gets social interaction. Playing an active role is key.
Alli Hill
Founder and Director, Fleurish Freelance
Create a Timetable Linked to Rewards
Creating a timetable may seem counterintuitive at first, but it will help your kids structure their time and prioritize the right activities at the right times. This ensures that nothing gets left out, and some tasks don’t become too overwhelming. The timetable can be a proper document, or you can just include it in your family calendar. You can even link it to a reward chart for everyone, and use it to schedule family time or fun activities in advance.
A helpful way to lead by example here is to do the same for yourself. Create a timetable for your own routine. This also helps everyone to see what everyone will be doing and keep the whole family organized.
Adam Morris
Content Executive, Twinkl
Encourage Daily Planning
I teach my kids effective time-management skills by example. I show them how to balance their extracurricular activities with academics and personal life. I also teach them to prioritize their time and focus on the most important tasks first. I encourage them to plan their day in advance and set goals for what they want to accomplish.
Matthew Ramirez
Founder, USMLE Test Prep
Submit Your Answer
Would you like to submit an alternate answer to the question, “How do you teach your kids effective time management skills to balance their extracurricular activities with academics and personal life?”