Events Occupational Therapy

Back to School: Time Management

The 2014 – 2015 school year is fast approaching!
Time can be difficult to come by during the school year for parents and students alike. Add time constraints to the fact that children with NF1 often struggle to stay on task and it may feel like it is impossible to fit everything your child needs to do into a single day. Teaching your child about time management is a great way to empower your him or her to take responsibility and focus throughout the day.
Prioritize
A key element of time management is learning how to prioritize. Help your child not only by discussing what tasks need to be completed throughout the day, but also through explaining which tasks should be completed before other tasks. For instance, if your child has a math test the next day, let him or her know that studying for math should be first on her to-do list after school.
Create a Responsibility Chart
Some children may benefit from having a visual representation of what they need to do throughout the day. Responsibility charts can be as simple (all the “to do” responsibilities on one side and “completed” responsibilities on the other side) or as involved (all the “to do” responsibilities in order of when they should be completed) as you like. The goal is to make the tool as useful for your individual child as possible. Check out the image to the right for an example or join us at Club NF this weekend where we will make responsibility charts.
Use a Timer
You can set a timer to help your child move between tasks. For example, if you are letting your child take a break from homework, set a timer to alert him or her to when the break has ended. Additionally, the iPad has a lot of ways you can set timers to help your child move between fun activities and school related activities.
Time management is a valuable skill in all facets of life. Helping your child to grasp the concept now will help him or her be better prepared for his or her future.