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There is no question about it; we are a society on the go. Parents balance careers, family, and the social lives of every member of their families. Just as parents have to balance their calendars, they must teach their children to balance theirs. Children must learn priorities, teamwork, and responsibility at a very young age.
Teaching kids to prioritize
This may sound easy, but it is far from it. Ask most parents, and they will say their kids know school is always going to come first. However, when your child has joined a team, and the team is depending on them, a math lesson that they do not understand throws everything off. Sooner or later, you will face this issue. Your child will struggle with something, and it will bleed over into their activities. The lessons of responsibility to the team are just as important as their studies. So, what do you do?
Communication is the key. Do not let a problem with schoolwork sneak up on you. Check your child’s daily work. Keep an open dialog with their teacher. Prevention is always easier than correction.
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Never miss a teachable moment
Smart parents use every situation as a teachable moment. Reciting spelling words on your way to the game is a great way to use your time. Let your child practice simple math when it is your time to treat the team. Get two or three of their favorite flavor of Jolly Ranchers and let them practice addition and subtraction as they are making goodie bags.
Don’t spread them too thin
You must be realistic about what your child’s schedule. There are only so many hours in a day. If your kid wants to play soccer, great. But do not sign them up for soccer, dance, and gymnastics. They need to learn to decide what they want to do. When the season is over, they can select another activity. As your child matures, they will be able to schedule more activities for themselves. As they are ready to try, let them. Just encourage them to go slowly.
Keep a family calendar
It is important to teach your child that everyone has a schedule to consider. Color code the calendar to make it easy for everyone to see where the family time is invested. Putting everyone’s activities on the family calendar lets them see that everyone is important. Be sure to include your responsibilities and social life. If you have a date night once or twice a month, put it on the calendar.
If there are four people in the family, there are four colors on the calendar. It is easy to see if one person is dominating the family schedules. While that is okay sometimes (like during dance recital time or football season), it cannot be that way all the time. It is about teaching your child to be part of the bigger picture.
Conclusion
It is up to the parents to teach the children to have a healthy and balanced life. They are learning that their needs and activities are important, as are the needs and activities of others. This is a lesson that they will carry for the rest of their lives. An organized and well-planned schedule allows for a fuller and more rewarding life. From grade school to parenthood this is a great skill to have.
*Disclosure: This is a guest post. Opinions are 100% that of the guest contributor. Affiliate links may be used.
