“Hold on. I just need to check my phone first!”
File this statement here: Last words, Famous.
Your teen won’t be back for a while.
A couple of hours of will pass, lost to social media. Their room won’t get cleaned due to a texted emergency. Homework will go untouched for the sake of selfies, surfing, a quick video game.
And yet again, the importance of teaching time management as a life skill will be confirmed.
Why is Time Management so Important for Teens?
To be fair, it’s not just about smartphones and social media and it’s not just about teens. Time management is tricky for everyone — for a variety of reasons.
However, in a distraction-filled society such as ours, it qualifies as an essential skill. Therefore, a big first step is to help your child understand what good time management can offer them.
For example, these benefits are particularly advantageous
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Time Management Prepares Them for Future Responsibilities
Productive time management allows teens to develop solid decision-making skills. These skills can result in better school and work performance by increasing a teen’s responsibility and independence.
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Time Management Increases Their Quality of Life
We all know about the stereotypical high school student cramming the night before a big test or waiting until the last minute to work a project. Enhancing one’s time management skills thus has crucial quality-of-life benefits.
Teens will experience reduced anxiety when faced with a deadline. Also, by using one’s time more efficiently, your teen scores more leisure time. This allows for a smoother, more engaged social life and more opportunities to rest and relax.
6 Top Tips for Teen Time Management
1. Model a Good Example
You may wonder if your teen child even sees you but they’re watching. And learning. The better your time management, the better the lessons you’re passing on. Step up to the challenge.
2. Treat Your Teen Like an (almost) Adult
You can take a black-and-white approach to parenting – until you can’t. Your teen is a budding adult with a nuanced perspective and complex inner life. The onus is on you to adapt to this reality. Communicate with your teen as if you were speaking with a peer more and more often.
3. Set Tech and Device Limits
There will be conflict. But you can and must set boundaries in your own home. Obviously, you cannot control their social time completely. But when at home, you can impose house rules that help everyone thrive. Pro tip: Set the limits for yourself too.
4. Meet Them Where They Are
Your children use devices and apps for practically everything. It only makes sense to learn how they can use the same devices and apps to stay organized. Again, the onus is on you. In this case, your job is to keep up with the times and demonstrate an understanding of their world.
5. Leave Room for Their Own Modifications
At some point, the best you can do is suggest a time management template. As stated above, a nuanced almost-adult is going to have their own style. Allow space for their tweaks to the system.
6. Explain How Time Management is a Lifelong Process
We’re never complete when it comes to time management. Circumstances impose upon us the need to evolve — and this is usually a good thing. Accepting change is a great overall life lesson.
Do You Both Need a Guidance Counselor?
Many clichés are deeply founded in truth. For example, plenty of teens and parents wonder if they are speaking different languages.
A therapist can serve as a “translator” of sorts. You and your child can attend counseling together. If it feels more appropriate, you may choose to let your teen work one-on-one in therapy.
Either way, the goal is to understand that counseling serves many evolving purposes. It can definitely help create a strong foundation for your child as they advance into adulthood. Weekly sessions are where confidence is fortified and independence becomes less daunting.
